KOHIMNA, JUNE 26: Nagaland Police has seized a huge quantity of drugs and synthetic substances worth more than Rs 117.28 crore since June last year.
Speaking on the topic ‘supply reduction scenario in Nagaland’ on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking observed here Sunday, SP (Narcotic Cell) Bendang Jamir said drugs amounting to Rs 117,28,32,220 was seized since June 2021 from different parts of the State.
The seizure includes 16.75 Kgs of Brown Sugar (Rs 33.5 cr), 8.93 Kgs of Heroin (Rs 26.79 cr), 5.8 Kgs of Methamphetamine (Rs 17.4 cr), 86.98 Kgs of Opium (Rs 8.69 cr), 2,903 Kgs of Ganja (29.03 cr), 57,812 packets of imported cigarette (Rs 1.15 cr), 1,35,107 Yaba tablets (Rs 27.02 lakh), 1,79,369 numbers of Synthetic Drugs (Rs 35.87 lakh), 2,362 bottles of cough syrup (Rs 7.08 lakh), he said.
Despite the huge seizure of drugs and other psychotropic substances by the law enforcing agency, the consumer rate in the State is high due to some entry and exit points which cannot be manned or checked, especially the international border at Noklak and Mon districts and also state-border shared with Assam is synthetic drugs, he said.
The officer therefore stressed that a strong mechanism needs to be developed between the law enforcing agencies and all stakeholders, including the general public to curb smuggling by drug traffickers.
Need for collective efforts to curb drug trafficking: Dr Joyce
Medical Officer of Kripa Foundation, Dr Joyce Angami stressing on the need for collective response, said that drugs and alcohol abuse is a disease requiring medical help for the physical body and the church for spiritual healing and directions for their life.
Expressing that before someone gets into drugs and alcoholism, it is more important to try and prevent them as it is said prevention is better than cure, she stressed on the need for collective efforts with proper planning and strategies to restrain new entries into drugs.
“We have a humanitarian crisis in the form of chemical abuse, which not only destroys the person but also the family, society and community where they come from”, she said.
Maintaining that the first gateway into drugs is tobacco and alcohol, she wondered if the existence of Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act since 1989 has been helpful.
The Act has actually not prevented alcohol from coming into Nagaland as many precious lives have been lost, she said.
On a more serious note, she said because there is a demand, alcohol is climbing over the walls and is flooding the market with availability in small paan shops.
Dr Angami, therefore, suggested for all including the Government, Police, Social Welfare Department and the general public to come together to curb the inflow of drugs and alcohol.
“Not only observing June 26 as Drug Day annually, but since we are facing a human crisis, we need to meet regularly to try and plan strategies on how to check the spread of drug abuse”, she said.
Fearing that at this rate Nagaland would get back to the HIV/AIDS scenario 1990s if timely check is not done to have a society free of drug abuse, she emphasized on a collective effort from all to make Nagaland a healthy community free of discrimination by helping the users to the access the facilities towards attaining a healthy life.
Nagaland’s geographical location accessible to all sorts of illegal drugs: Ritse
Commissioner & Secretary of Social Welfare Department, Government of Nagaland, Martha R Ritse said drug abuse has become a major social concern in the world and it has proven to be a principal obstruction in the all-round development at every level; be it in the society, the country or even the world. It has become a matter of concern that the number of drug abusers and incidents of illicit trafficking soared during the global pandemic.
Nagaland’s geographical location puts the State in a vulnerable position with its access to all sorts of illegal drugs trafficked through porous domestic and international borders, resulting in many lives lost and the irreparable loss due to substance abuse, she said.
“Our State is not free from problems of substance abuse but it also has the solutions to tackle this menace in the society”, she said.
She said that the Social Welfare Department being the nodal Department acts as a facilitator between the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and various stakeholders in the State.
It is implementing the Central Government’s ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan’ campaign, under which 3 districts ~ Kohima, Dimapur and Mon ~ are covered and various awareness programmes have been carried out through the initiatives of the District administration with the help of stakeholders, she said.
Currently, the Department is pursuing with the Ministry to set up more rehabilitation centres and de-addiction centres to expand the need-based intervention strategies in other districts, she said.
Nonetheless, the bureaucrat said the ultimate and long term goal should be to minimize the number of such centres by minimizing the number of drug users in our State.
“Primary Prevention is very crucial and we must prevent our children and youth from venturing into such harmful habits”, she said while calling upon all to reaffirm their commitment and strengthen the collective stand to make the society a ‘Drug Free Society’.
Men’s seminars and camps for alcohol and substance abusers conducted by churches were shared by Kohima Ao Baptist Church Pastor Arep Tsudir and Angami Central Baptist Church Kohima representative Meme Metha.
Director of Social Welfare Department, Tosheli Zhimomi delivered the keynote address while District Project Officer, Kohima, Social Welfare Department Imkongzenla tendered the vote of thanks and Chakhesang Baptist Church choir enthralled the gathering on the occasion.
The programme was jointly organized by the Social Welfare Department, Nagaland Police, Kripa Foundation, Kohima Ao Baptist Church, Central Baptist Church, Kohima, and Nagaland Users Network at Capital Convention Centre, Kohima.
(Page News Service)
