Anti-narcotics SOG formed to curb drug peddling in district

In a bid to end drug peddling menace in the Prayagraj district, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Sarvshrestha Tripathi has constituted a dedicated anti-narcotics team or a ‘special operation group’ (SOG) to curb the crime.

Within a few days of being formed, the team has arrested many drug peddlers and seized drugs worth several lakhs from them. The team is now working to break the network of drug peddlers and trace the kingpin of the drug business, Tripathi said.

The team headed by sub-inspector Mahaveer Singh includes sub-inspector Ashish Kumar, head constable Manoj, constable Anurag Yadav, Vijendranath Rai, Avanish Sharma, Atul Singh and Santosh Yadav, SSP said. Tripathi said that during last one week, the SOG has arrested 16 persons in separate raids from Georgetown, Dhumanganj, Atarsuiya and Karchhana police stations. The team seized over 1.20 grams of smack estimated to be around Rs12 lakh. It is worth mentioning that despite many arrests of drug peddlers in the district during the last few years, smuggling of smack and other sedatives used by addicts has continued unabated. Many drug peddlers and carriers, including women, were arrested by the police but they get back in business once released from the jail.

Besides, the youths have fallen to the addiction of marijuana, sedative injections, medicines and cough syrups, apart from smack, which is available to them. Taking serious note of the menace, SSP Sarvshrestha Tripathi constituted the ‘anti-narcotics special operation group’ and dedicated the team of cops to arrest drug peddlers and break the backbone of the illegal business in Prayagraj district.

SSP said the team had been designated the task to trace and arrest drug peddlers and smugglers besides identifying the kingpin. The team has been successful in arresting many criminals recently, he added.