Narcotics Control Bureau, cops won’t let city become ‘Udta Bengaluru’
BENGALURU: Home Minister Basavraj Bommai said on Sunday that the police would use innovative measures to bust the narcotic networks in Bengaluru. The Narcotics Control Bureau, Bengaluru zonal unit, recently busted a huge drug trafficking net in which some prominent musicians and actors in Bengaluru are allegedly involved along with some college students and others.
Bommai has called for a meeting of the police top brass including the DGP and IGP Praveen Sood and Bangalore City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant on Monday to deal with the drug menace. Bommai told TNIE that his team of officers was working on it from a 360 degree perspective, “Our officers will break the Darknet market.’’Experts point out that the Darknet consists of an array of websites, similar to legitimate online platforms that facilitate trade.
But these are mostly faceless-nameless-anonymous networks and it would be imperative for the police to explore how the drug users have access to such markets. The police sources said they will be looking at the problem from the consumer, supplier, distribution network points and getting information from earlier cases too. Bommai said, “We will be checking out the international points of reference in this supply chain such as international citizens who were once apprehended and jailed, information will be collated.’’
He said, “We will be strengthening the anti-narcotic networks in the respective police units.
The Central Crime Branch, CID, district units and the larger state police units have specialized units to combat narcotics and they will be strengthened.’’On the issue of drugs in Sandalwood, he said they would get to the root of the problem. About drug use in educational institutions, Bommai said his officers were keeping a close watch on schools and colleges in the city.
He warned, “We will hold the managements of such institutions responsible wherever drug use is found.’’
Meanwhile, the city police teams have started investigating the leads about drug use in Sandalwood. They are speaking to actors and actresses and those associated with the industry to find out the information on drug use in Sandalwood, the available networks and those involved. Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said, “The drugs mafia has spread its influence in Bengaluru. This is dangerous for any society. We need to weed it out at the initial stages.”