Dehradun is becoming a hub of narcotics if the statistics of city police are to be believed. Police have arrested around 20 drug peddlers carrying pharmaceutical drugs, hashish, smack and other narcotics costing crores of rupees in the international market at different places in the last 45 days in the state capital.
Three persons carrying 500 grams hashish were caught by police near Welham Girls School on Monday evening.
Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Kewal Khurana said that Anti-narcotics Cell headed by sub-inspector Ravi Saini was established to act on available inputs to nab the peddlers.
Khurana said that to nab the peddlers, police station in-charge have been directed to conduct drive against drug smugglers.
Around 20 drug peddlers were arrested in the city follow tip offs about their movements. In some cases, peddlers were caught during vehicle checking drive by police at different places. Cops acted on tip off and accused were arrested under sections 8/20/60 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and later jailed.
Many of the arrested peddlers have confessed that they were told by middleman to supply narcotics to youth in educational institutes. Following this, cops have been directed to be vigilant especially around educational institutes and hostels to nab culprits.
Khurana said that circle officers have been directed to conduct inspections in at least two hostels daily to prevent delivery of narcotics.
Police men have been sent to the neighbouring states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to nab the middleman, he said.
SSP PRO Mahipal said that three persons carrying 500 grams hashish were arrested during routine patrol near Welham Girls School.
The accused have been identified as Chamoli residents Dinesh Nayal, Manoj Rawat and Santosh Kotiyal.