Under the zero tolerance policy of the Uttar Pradesh government towards drug trafficking and supply of illicit liquor, a week-long special campaign was started for crackdown on those involved in this illicit trade.
After completion of the drive, certificates will be taken from the districts of the action taken and strict action will be taken against the guilty officers if the facts contrary to the certificate are found.
The officers have been directed to take legal action against those involved in illegal operation of hookah bars, drugs and illicit liquor supply. The drive has been launched on the direction of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
“A one-week special campaign kicked off from Wednesday till August 31, 2022, in order to take more systematic and effective action against illegal drugs and illicit liquor in the entire state”, confirmed Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi here on Wednesday evening.
The action taken in this regard will be reviewed by a high level committee authorised at the government level, he added.
According to Awasthi, at the end of this special campaign, a point-wise progress report will be provided by the districts along with a certificate mentioning action taken in compliance with the guidelines and that illegal drugs and illegal liquor dealing and hookah bars are not operating in the district. Strict action will be taken against the guilty officers if any facts contrary to the facts mentioned in the certificates come to the notice.
It may be mentioned here that an Anti-Narcotics Task Force has been constituted by the government under the supervision of the Additional Director General of Police, Crime. Narcotics police stations will also be established at the zonal/regional levels as per the requirement at the state level. In the first phase, narcotics police stations will be established in Barabanki and Ghazipur districts.
Awasthi said that this task force would get the same powers of search, seizure, arrest, custody, attachment and investigation in its area of work, which are under NDPS Act, Indian Penal Code and other laws.
He said that all district magistrates, district police chief, four commissioners of police and Additional Director General of Police, GRP, including Director General of Police, should run the special campaign against illegal drugs and illicit liquor for a week from August 24 to August 31.
In the instructions issued by the government, it has been said that the senior officers of district and police administration of all the districts will supervise and review the action of identification and checking of all active and suspicious persons related to illegal drugs and illicit liquor police station-wise in the district every day. Action will be ensured under Gangsters Act against gangs involved in dealing in illegal drugs, narcotics, psychotropic substances and illicit liquor and preventive action under NDPS Act against such persons who are repeatedly involved in drug trafficking.
It has also been directed that for the production, distribution and use of illegal and poisonous liquor, effective action will be taken in compliance with the guidelines of the government and legal action will be taken against the guilty persons under relevant sections, including Section 60A punishable with death of the Excise Act.
According to the instructions, all the district magistrates and district police in-charges will ensure that hookah bars are not operated at any place under their jurisdiction and legal action is to be ensured against the persons and gangs involved in the operation of such illegally operated hookah bars.
It has also been said that all the GRP police stations of the state will ensure that smuggling and transportation of narcotics is not done through trains in any form, while increasing the intensive search during the said operation. Similar vigilance will also be implemented in respect of road traffic and transport through all the police stations of the state.