LUCKNOW: In order to crack down on illicit liquor and drug smugglers in the state, the Uttar Pradesh government has set up an ‘Anti-Narcotics Task Force’ (ANTF) to check drug trafficking.
ANTF has been constituted following the directives of CM Yogi Adityanath to confiscate the properties of those found involved in illicit liquor and drugs trade and put up their posters at public places, said the official spokesman of state government here on Tuesday.
The CM issued the orders to authorities concerned to crack a whip on those found involved in the trade of illicit liquor and drugs as it should be seen as a national crime. The CM was reviewing the campaign against illicit liquor and narcotics across the state.
According to a statement issued by Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar, ANTF would be supervised by Additional Director General of Police (Crime).
As per the UP police statement, in the first phase, Narcotics Police Stations would be established in two districts -- Barabanki and Ghazipur. It added that officers from central agencies like Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) would be taken on deputation in ANTF.
ANTF would be equipped with all the powers related to search, seizure, arrest and investigation against criminals and mafia involved in the drug trade. It would be able to investigate by registering FIR against criminals in any police station within its jurisdiction.
ANTF would be divided into three zones -- Eastern, Western and Central – across the state.
While Eastern zone would comprise of Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, and Varanasi divisions, Western would have of Meerut, Bareilly, and Agra divisions and Central zone would have Lucknow and Kanpur division.
At the Headquarters, the task force would be headed by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police level officer with the support of the Superintendent of Police (Operations) and the Superintendent of Police (Headquarters), the statement said adding that each zone would be headed by a deputy SP level officer.
DIG Abdul Hamid has been appointed the first officer to head ANTF. In the first phase of the campaign which was launched on Monday, 785 accused were arrested while narcotics worth more than Rs 5.50 crore were seized in raids that were carried out in 342 hookah bars at 4,338 places across the state, the official statement said.
The drive was launched to save the youth of the state from drug addiction.
The task force will also oversee the implementation of treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts, and preventive education and awareness generation programmes of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It will also coordinate with de-addiction centres established by the Union health ministry.
The ANTF has also been tasked with keeping a vigil on the illegal farming of poppy seed and cracking down on the illegal narcotics trade through the dark web, social media, and cryptocurrency.