Shimla, Jul 17 (IANS): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday suggested amendments to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act to effectively crackdown the drug mafia.

The Chief Minister called for a provision in the NDPS Act to enable the confiscation of properties of drug peddlers.

Speaking virtually at the conference on 'Drug smuggling and National Security' chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Sukhu expressed concern at the slow pace of conviction of the drug peddlers in 10 drug-related cases in the state transferred to the Enforcement Directorate.

The Chief Minister advocated the need to delegate the powers of confiscation to the states. He also asked to enhance the punishment for drug offences from five years to life imprisonment and make the offence cognisable and non-bailable regardless of the quantity involved with a provision of a fine of Rs five lakh, besides confiscation of properties.

Sukhu also urged the Union government to establish a zonal office of the Narcotics Control Bureau and a modern hi-tech jail in the Kullu district, besides setting up of a modern forensic laboratory and a mobile lab to accelerate the investigation of cases.