In the first three months of the year, Mumbai reported an over 50 percent decrease in the cases related to drugs, compared to the corresponding period last year. However, the drugs seizures have increased by 2.6 times as compared to that of the same period the previous year. The Mumbai Police attribute this decline in the number of cases to the recent crackdown on drug peddlers by multiple agencies and the post lockdown effect.
As per the recent statistics released by the Mumbai Police, from January to March this year the city recorded 1,111 narcotic cases, a 53 percent drop compared to the same period the previous year, when there were 2,357 cases.
There is decrease in the number of cases being registered however, seizure this year has surged multiple fold to over 2.6 times as compared to that of the corresponding period a year ago. This year, the city police along with Mumbai crime branch and Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) seized contraband substances worth Re 35.22 crore while last year Rs 13.16 crore worth of drugs had been seized in the first three months of 2020.
This year number of cases registered may be less as compared to last year but we succeeded in busting huge quantities of drugs as a reason seizure surged multiple fold, said officials. In third week of February, Dongri police seized 25 kg of Mephedrone aka MD worth Rs 12.5 crore which helped to increase seizure this year, while in the same month 1,800 kg of marijuana worth Rs 3.5 crore had been seized from Vikhroli.
Along with the city police, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has also succeeded in major drug busts in the city and arrested big time drug peddlers recently.
One of the major reasons for the decline in cases is that, multiple agencies have launched a crackdown against drug peddlers which is forcing many drug peddlers to remain on the sidelines fearing arrest, said officials. The post lockdown period has also helped in numbers going down as interstate and international supply chains are yet to open completely.
The lockdown has adversely impacted city's night life and party culture, which is also helping the drugs consumption and demand going down, added the official.
