Telangana to seek Centre's help in fighting drug menace

Hyderabad: The Telangana government has decided to seek the help of the Centre to root out the drug mafia which has built a strong network across the State.

The State Police and Excise departments have conducted a joint study on the rampant smuggling of drugs from different parts of the country and ganja from the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh States. They have also come to a conclusion that apart from measures like tightening security at all the State borders, there was also an urgent need to keep a hawk eye on all the flights coming to Hyderabad from African and South Asian countries, a top official said.

The probe by the Police and Excise departments has revealed that poor surveillance at the State borders was one of the main reasons for spurt in ganja smuggling. The neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and even Chhattisgarh governments have failed miserably to check ganja cultivation and this had put entire Telangana under huge risk. It is estimated that nearly 300 quintals of ganja was being smuggled into Telangana every year," officials said, adding that a strong network of ganja smugglers was formed in the three States recently.

The illegal supply of narcotics in Hyderabad city was also causing an alarm. It was found in the probe that drug peddlers had adopted modern technology and new ways to smuggle drugs from international platforms directly into the country. They are being brought into Telangana thru various safe routes. Officials said the biggest challenge before the security agencies is to track the peddlers and close all the routes which were also identified. "The drug menace would not be eradicated without the Centre's intervention since it involves different States. It requires the help of several Central agencies like Narcotic Control Board and other probing agencies to close the safe routes created for smuggling," the officials said.

Soon the government would submit a report to the Union Home Ministry requesting it to take special measures. Sources in the State government said that it was ready to extend all necessary cooperation to the Centre in fighting the menace.