Moga police works out strategy to curb drug trafficking

MOGA: When registration of criminal cases and sending them to jail time and again could not deter smugglers of Daulewala village from indulging in the business of poppy husk and opium smuggling for fast and heavy bucks, the Moga police had to start working on a new initiative to nail them down.
Using the provisions of Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) Act extensively, the Moga police have started collecting the details of the properties made by the notorious smugglers of the area so that these could be confiscated and frozen.
And the police have started from Daulewala village of the district which is inhabited on the banks of river Satjuj. The village is notorious for large scale smuggling of poppy husk and opium for the last so many decades.
According to police sources, about one thousand cases under NDPS Act are registered against the residents of the village at Zira, Dharam Kot, Kot Ise Khan and some other police stations of the area. Close to 105 persons involved in smuggling of poppy husk and opium have been declared absconders by different courts in the area.
Sources revealed, having population of about 3000, according to an estimate about 1500 persons of the village including women are directly or indirectly engaged in the illegal profession. And most of the smugglers have rags to riches story.
If the smugglers of Majha area are known for their high profile life style with mansion like houses and keeping new models of vehicles, the profile of the smugglers is quite different here.
Eschewing ostentatious lifestyle, the smugglers of the area are investing all ill-gotten money in property purchasing while maintaining a low profile, said Anita Punj, district police chief.
Since registration of criminal cases have failed to desist them from continuing this illegal business, the confiscation of their ill-gotten properties after verification would definitely hit them at right place and the Moga police have taken this initiative of collecting details of ill-gotten properties of the suspected persons, told Anita Punj.
Anita Punj assured no victimization of innocents. She told that necessary action would be taken after collecting all details of properties of the suspected persons and its scrutiny. She said the police would also make attempts to inculcate the innocent persons of this village in this drive against drugs smuggling.
"I am thinking of taking meetings with teachers and students in the village so that they could be revealed about the menace of the drugs," said Punj. It would help the coming generations in disdaining the illegal business.
She declined that any bank account of any suspected person was seized. This step would be taken after minute securitization so that no innocent person were harassed, she added.
Sources in police revealed that a joint registrar has also been deputed to collect the details of the property of the persons engaged in trafficking in contrabands.
Earlier no police official dared to enter the village as the residents used to attack them. Many police parties had been attacked in the past. The police sources admitted that it was almost impossible to nab the culprits as they flee away in the dense shrubs and other plants on the banks of Satluj.