As many as nine habitual drug traffickers who have been arrested multiple times by police will be booked under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act, entailing three years of non-bailable detention.
This was informed by Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh to a delegation of Hynñiewtrep Youth Council (HYC) which met him to seek more stringent measures against drug traffickers.
According to HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem, the minister told the delegation that the names of the nine habitual drug traffickers have been sent to the Advisory Board for evaluation before necessary steps to book and keep them under three-year detention under the PIT-NDPS Act.
Synrem said that it was unclear if the Advisory Board constituted as mandated by the PIT-NDPS Act in July 2023 has recommended any detention of drug traffickers under the Act.
“We would also like to urge upon you that steps should be taken to further strengthen the crackdown against drug trafficker, by detaining/booking those accused/traffickers, who have been arrested more than once, under the stringent provisions of the PIT-NDPS Act,” the HYC said in the memorandum to Lyngdoh.
The HYC also urged the minister to take steps to ensure that the Fast Track Courts or Special Courts as envisaged under DREAM Project, for trial of cases under NDPS Act be established as soon as possible, especially for East Khasi Hills District.
“At present there are no Special Courts for trial of cases under NDPS Act, hence trial lingers on for years altogether and this discourages especially the witnesses and the general public to assist the State machinery in the fight against drugs,” the HYC said.
