VIJAYAWADA: Director General of Police (DGP) Harish Kumar Gupta asserted that the primary objective of the State’s anti-narcotics unit ‘EAGLE’ is to dismantle the drug network that is damaging the future of youth and said proposals were sent to government to establish 13 new NDPS special courts for speedy trials in NDPS cases.
The DGP inaugurated the EAGLE State headquarters at Ratnala Cheruvu village under Mangalagiri mandal on Saturday.
The DGP said that over the past one-and-a-half years, the Elite Anti-Narcotics Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE) has earned national recognition for its performance and has grown into a key enforcement unit on par with elite forces like Greyhounds and OCTOPUS. He emphasised that the agency has been playing a crucial role in controlling drug-related activities across the State.
“Cannabis cultivation has been effectively curbed, with over 11,000 acres of ganja crops eradicated. The State has also taken a lead in implementing the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1988,” the DGP Harish Kumar Gupta highlighted the achievements.
Explaining that stringent action initiated against notorious ganja smugglers and peddlers, DGP explained that as many as 112 hardened smugglers have been arrested under the PIT-NDPS Act, adding that strict action is being taken against repeat offenders. “Efforts are also underway to identify and disrupt the financial networks of drug syndicates,” he maintained.
The DGP noted that while enforcement against cultivation and smuggling has intensified, authorities are now also focusing on drug consumers. A comprehensive database of users has been developed, and a drug testing centre has been set up in Vijayawada. Plans are in place to expand testing facilities statewide, with 10,000 testing kits to be deployed in the first phase.
He further said advanced technologies such as drones and satellites are being used to detect and eliminate cannabis cultivation. A dedicated data centre has been established to track crimes conducted through the dark web and digital payments. Surveillance on interstate drug networks has also been strengthened, he added.
EAGLE chief Ake Ravikrishna said the unit’s operations have been expanded across all 28 districts, with special task forces functioning in three regions. He highlighted initiatives such as ‘Operation Chaitanya’ for cannabis eradication, ‘Safe Campus Zone’ to protect students, and ‘Vajra Prahar’ and ‘Operation Garuda’ targeting drug hotspots and supply chains.