The drug cartel has been flourishing in the city. This is evident as the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released its data which states that Mumbai tops the charts in the country when it comes to drugs. The city recorded 3,509 cases under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) act in 2020, followed by Bengaluru at 2,766 cases. Also, 3,787 people were arrested and drugs worth Rs 28.83 crore were seized.
The police, however, attributed this spurt to a rise in constant crackdown against drug peddlers and drug abusers.
Among other cities, Indore registered 998 cases, followed by Delhi and Kochi at 734 and 706 cases respectively. Out of the 3,509 cases, more than 90% of the cases (3,274) were of drug consumption. The remaining 235 were of possession of drugs for trafficking.
“The number of cases registered in the city is high due to constant crackdown carried out against drug peddlers. Not only is the anti-narcotics cell proactively taking action against peddlers and drug abusers, but the local police is also working at their level. As a result, we see more cases, arrests and seizures daily,” said DCP Datta Nalawade.
However, the number of NDPS cases registered in 2020 is just a fraction of what they registered in 2019. A drop of almost 72 per cent was reported in NDPS cases in 2020. This was due to the lockdown which curtailed people from moving around. This year, till August 31, the city registered 3,312 cases and seized drugs worth over Rs 62.6 crore.
The state has done lot better in terms of NDPS cases. Last year the state recorded total 4714 NDPS cases and comes at fifth position as compared to other states.
