City police to pool in resources to tackle drugs issue in Mangaluru: Vikash Kumar

Mangaluru: The drive against drugs will be a concerted year-round effort that will focus on breaking the supply chain involving suppliers, peddlers and users, said city police chief Vikash Kumar. The 15 law and order police stations under the city police commissionerate limits will act in tandem with Cybercrime, Economic Offenses and Narcotics (CEN) police stations to get to the roots of the issue, Vikash said.
Mooting this resolve at Drugs Muktha Mangaluru, a phone-in programme organised by the Vijaya Karnataka on Wednesday, Vikash said that the CEN and the law and order police stations will pool in their resources to tackle the issue.The police inspectors and beat staff of the law and order police stations will be in touch with their counterparts at the CEN police station, which in turn will carry out investigations, run its own informant network and also take inputs from the stakeholders, he noted.
Agreeing to concerns flagged by social activist Shashidhar Shetty on the inability of regular law and order police stations to fully focus on the drugs issue given their preoccupation with other routine duties, Vikash said this is where CEN comes into focus. To this end, steps have been taken to augment personnel strength in these specialised PS, he said, adding they are also getting trained in the latest aspects of drugs and cybercrime enforcement.
“We have kept watch on every aspect of drug trade and police action will be swift at the slightest hint of transgression,” the city police chief said, hinting at a crackdown on food app delivery personnel peddling drugs.
On the seeming reluctance on part of callers to give details of people involved in drugs trade in their backyard fearing retribution, Vikash advised them to call the city control room on 100. “Call to 100 is recorded and acted upon and the identity of callers is kept confidential,” he said, adding that people may also pass on information directly to him.