Senior police officials of northern states and Union territories on Thursday held a detailed discussion on the menace of drugs and laid emphasis on coordinated action to deal with it.

The meeting was attended by officials from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, besides the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

Haryana Director General of Police P K Agrawal, Chandigarh DGP Praveer Ranjan and Punjab’s Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla were among those present in the meeting. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Haryana DGP Agrawal, who chaired it, informed that a detailed discussion among officers was held on several issues related to the drug problem and what more steps need to be taken to more effectively deal with the scourge.  “Several issues related to the drug problem which is a very serious issue were discussed. A detailed discussion took place on what we are doing and what more should be done,” he said.  Several suggestions emerged during the meeting with regard to dealing with this problem more effectively, he added.

During the meeting, financial proceeds from drugs were also discussed, he said. “You all know there is a huge generation (in proceeds from drugs) and what should we do in this regard,” he said. There is a need to strengthen the mechanism of sharing information pertaining to drugs with each other, he noted. A working group will be set up so that field officials can regularly share information and take efforts against the drug problem in a coordinated way, he added.

The Haryana DGP said the good practices against the drug problem adopted by the participating states will be assimilated on one platform so as to replicate them. He said there were many other related issues which were also discussed. He stressed on taking action against some unscrupulous pharma companies in Himachal Pradesh. Replying to a question on the flow of drugs from Pakistan, Agrawal said the fight against the problem of drugs is a continuous one and it has to be fought.

He said that in several incidents, the Punjab Police and the Border Security Force stopped the smuggling of drugs and arms which came through drones from across the border in the last few days. He further said that it was important to establish backward and forward linkages of drug networks so as to demolish the entire supply chain.

Punjab’s ADGP Shukla said some drug smugglers have developed nexus with gangsters and terrorist organisations also.  “We have arrived at a consensus to take certain steps which will definitely go a long way in reducing the smuggling,” he said.  Shukla said that Punjab shares 553 km border with Pakistan and drones from across the border carrying drugs and weapons have emerged as a new challenge.