Fight against illegal drugs will continue in J-K: DGP S P Vaid

DGP S P Vaid (Express Photo By Shuaib Masoodi)

Stressing that substance abuse pose a bigger threat to society than terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police S P Vaid said Tuesday that the police crackdown against drug peddlers in the state will continue. “A massive crackdown has been launched against drug peddlers and the pressure built on the people involved in this illicit trade will continue,” Vaid said after interacting with members of the civil society in Reasi and Udhampur districts.

According to the official data released in November, the state police arrested 667 people for drug trafficking this year. The number of such cases in 2016 was 377, and in 2015 it was 275. Without naming Pakistan, Vaid had then said: “There are a lot of drugs and narcotics being pumped into J-K from across the border.”

Today, he reiterated his call to various sections of society, including lawyers, judiciary, doctors and students, to cooperate with the state police to eradicate the menace. A police spokesman said residents of Reasi praised the police initiatives to fight the problem and engage the youth -through sports.

During the visit, Vaid launched a mobile application and the official website of the Katra Police at District Police Lines Reasi. The pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi shrine can register their complaints through the app. In Udhampur, civil society members thanked the police for taking up issues related to public amenities and for organising sports competitions, the spokesman said.