Seminar on Narcotic drugs: Laws & Procedure with law enforcement officers held
Kohima, March 22 (MExN): DIG (Training & Camp Commandant), Police Complex Chümoukedima, Aotemsu, on Saturday said that Dimapur is a transit point of a very vicious cycle that facilitates movement of narcotic substances in the state. An underlying challenge for the law enforcement agency in recent times is the emergence of new synthetic drugs which are easy to manufacture and smaller in size, he said.
The DIG was addressing a section of officers from the Police, Law and Justice, Excise, Drug Controller, Health and Family Welfare department during the one day seminar on ‘Narcotic Drugs: Laws and Procedure,' according to a press release from the Nagaland State Legal Services Authority (NSLSA).
The programme was organized by NSLSA in collaboration with Narcotic Control Bureau, Guwahati Zonal Unit, Guwahati at Rhododendron Hall, Police Complex, Chümoukedima, Dimapur on March 22.
Aotemsu said that the modus operandi in the last 20 years has evolved. More so, the assignment and nomenclature of the enforcement agency have changed, he said.
The officer recalled that in the earlier years, convoys of truckers were intercepted, out of which 2 or 3 would be carrying the narcotic substances in huge consignment. Those consignments used to be huge and bulky. However, he said, in recent times, new synthetic drugs that do not require huge doses have emerged, making it easier to peddle drugs without making anyone suspicious.
“The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) found today are now easy to manufacture and don’t need to be carried in large quantity, yet are worth lakhs of rupees,” he said, terming it as an ‘overwhelming evolvement,’ the release stated. One of the underlying challenges in this front, he said, was that now, it has become easier for peddlers to pass through through any of the checkpoints.
“There is an inner tryst and turmoil in our society today and we at the forefront of the law enforcement agency need to acknowledge our duty with mental knowledge and better ethics,” he asserted.
He called the participants to take the call to give feedbacks and explore insights into the obstacles and problems faced in the ground and how to tackle the challenges in this kind of investigation in Nagaland.
“Chargesheets are based on the mere confessions of an accused. However arrest, recovery and confession in line with the legal system should be the key of the investigation,” the DIG said adding that cracking modus operandi of the peddlers is critical in the fight against narcotic drugs.
NSLSA Member Secretary N Longshithung Ezung opined that laws dealing with drugs and narcotics are special legislations requiring specialized knowledge. “It needs efficient skill of handling the case from the stage of arrest to final disposal of the case,” he said.
Ezung said that the subject has been an area of interest among judiciary and the law enforcing agencies on various platforms as the legislation has more stringent penal provisions that prescribes certain special procedures of arrest, search, seizure, etc., and also for handling seized drugs for the purpose of collecting evidence.
Towards this, he called for concerted efforts of stakeholders-judiciary, law enforcing agencies, prosecutors and bar to fully and effectively implement NDPS cases, and said that the seminar will be of learning and equipping oneself with required knowledge and skills.
Resource person Manish Modi, Intelligence Officer, Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB), Guwahati and Suresh Kumar, SP, NCB, Imphal Zone gave detailed presentations on the salient features of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, investigation and common errors, trials and disposal orders and important judgments. The daylong seminar also converged on amendments and important features, national campaigns on drug abuse, prohibition control and regulation, offences and penalties, powers etc, the release stated.
