NCB’s Chandigarh unit to be strengthened

Shaurya Karanbir Gurung

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 20

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is strengthening its base (manpower and resources) in Punjab.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court during a hearing in the Jagdish Bhola drug case over a year ago made an observation on the issue of understaffing of the NCB in the state. “The High Court said there was a shortage of NCB manpower in Punjab, although the drug problem in the state was grave. The High Court directed the NCB to take steps to augment its manpower in the state,” said a government official.

Bhola, the alleged mastermind of a multi-crore drug racket, was arrested in November, 2013.

About 20 days ago, the High Court again asked the NCB about the steps taken to address the anomaly, said the official. “Even the Ministry of Home Affairs felt there was a need to augment the NCB’s Chandigarh zonal unit, which handles drug-related cases in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh,” said the official.

NCB Director General Ashok Prasad, who is also the Secretary (Internal Security), had recently ordered that two intelligence officers (IOs) or investigating officers from each of the 13 NCB zonal units should be posted at the Chandigarh unit. About 12 IOs have been temporarily transferred to Chandigarh.

The Chandigarh unit had a sanctioned strength of seven IOs, but its actual strength was only three IOs. Now there are 15 IOs.

There was manpower shortage despite the fact that Punjab reported the highest number of drug-trafficking cases from 2012 to last year, said Minister of State for Home Affairs Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary in reply to a question raised in the Lok Sabha on December 8. The number was 4,205 in 2012, 10,234 in 2013, 9,159 in 2014 and 25 until October this year.

From 2012 to 2014, the state witnessed the highest seizures of heroin. In 2012, it was 505.72 kg, according to Chaudhary. The state also had the highest seizure of poppy straw in 2012 (1,02,825.97 kg). In 2013, the heroin seizure was 737.34 kg while it was 729.91 kg last year. It also had the highest seizure of poppy husk, (76,048.33 kg). This year (till October), the state had the second highest seizure of heroin (150.24 kg).

Himachal Pradesh had the third highest seizure of hashish (283.64 kg) in 2012, said Chaudhary. It also had the highest seizure of tablets (2,176 kg). It had the second highest seizure of hashish (377.37 kg) last year while the highest seizure of poppy husk (1,033.93 kg) was till October this year.