Asserting that drug trafficking and abuse is a major worldwide problem, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday urged the judiciary to be strict when it comes to granting bail in NDPS cases.
The government has been working with a zero tolerance attitude to deal with cases related to drug trafficking as well drug abuse and the northeastern state ranks among the highest in destruction of drugs, Saha said at a seminar on cross-border organized crime (NDPS, human trafficking & terror funding) at the Tripura Judicial Academy in West Tripura's Narsingarh.
"In the past three years (June 2020 to June 2023), a total of 1,509 FIRs have been registered with the stringent NDPS Act in the northeastern state while chargesheets were submitted in 1,143 cases. Over 2,000 persons were arrested in connection with these cases", he said. Saha said of the 428 special NDPS cases, conviction was delivered only in 30 cases which is not up to the expected level.
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"It is our collective responsibility of all stakeholders to increase the conviction rate as far as NDPS cases are concerned. The judicial system has a great role to play. I appeal to judiciary to take a strict view while granting bail in NDPS cases", he said.
"Drug trafficking and abuse is a major cause of concern in Tripura because the state is surrounded by Bangladesh on three sides. International drug traffickers are easily using the state as a safe corridor for drug trafficking. Drug abuse is a serious concern as it poses great health hazards and also ruins the future of the young generation", he said.
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Noting that drug abuse is a threat to society, the chief minister said the black money earned through drug trafficking is the biggest source of income for terrorists to procure arms. Saha also laid stress on the proactive role of the legal service authority as well as the people from all walks of life to generate awareness about the ill-effect of drug trafficking and abuse. Justice Aniruddha Bose, judge of the Supreme Court and Justice Sanjoy Karol of the Supreme Court also spoke on the ill-effect of the drug menace.
