Drug offenders to be tracked like rowdy-sheeters; scrutiny on foreigners, courier services: Sajjanar

Hyderabad: Commissioner of Police VC Sajjanar on Friday asserted that drug offenders and peddlers in the city would be subjected to the same rigorous level of surveillance and monitoring usually reserved for history-sheeters (rowdy-sheeters).

Addressing a high-level coordination meeting on narcotics control held at the Telangana Command and Control Centre (TGICCC) in Banjara Hills, CP underscored the police department’s commitment to curbing the narcotics menace.

Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing to get more teams

To effectively dismantle the drug network in the city, the Commissioner announced the strengthening of the Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (H-NEW).

“In addition to the existing teams, four to five new teams are being constituted. These units will play a pivotal role in field-level intelligence gathering and the apprehension of the accused,” CP Sajjanar said.

Terming the eradication of narcotics a ‘continuous battle’ rather than a one-time operation, he called for seamless coordination between departments. It was decided that inter-agency coordination meetings would be held monthly to review case progress, share intelligence on habitual offenders, and analyse new methods of operation adopted by smugglers.

Focus on the involvement of foreign nationals and courier services

The meeting deliberated at length on the involvement of foreign nationals in drug trafficking and consumption. Officials discussed strategies to maintain constant vigil at airports and coordinate with relevant agencies to track the movement of suspicious passengers.

Special emphasis was laid on the misuse of courier services for transporting contraband.

Furthermore, the commissioner directed officials to strictly monitor foreign nationals arriving in the city on medical visas. “Instances of individuals arriving for medical treatment but failing to report to hospitals must be taken seriously. Such individuals must be tracked immediately in coordination with the DRI and FRRO,” he stated.

The meeting saw participation from various central and state agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Excise Department, Counter Intelligence, EAGLE, and the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).