Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 20: In one of the largest narcotics disposal operations undertaken in the national capital, Delhi Police on Monday destroyed 1,452 kg of seized drugs with an estimated international market value of Rs 897 crore, reinforcing its campaign against drug trafficking.
The destruction drive, the tenth of its kind, was conducted jointly by the Delhi Police and the Crime Branch in the presence of senior officials as part of the government's policy of maintaining zero tolerance towards narcotics.
With the latest disposal, the cumulative quantity of drugs destroyed by Delhi Police has reached 49,663 kg, representing an estimated international value of Rs 14,799 crore.
The anti-drug campaign is being carried out in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a 'Drug-Free India' and the Union Home Ministry's policy of 'Zero Tolerance' against narcotics.
The destroyed contraband included a wide range of narcotic and psychotropic substances, such as 1,010 kg of methamphetamine, 135 kg of heroin, 62 kg of charas, 37 kg of ganja, 16 kg of methaqualone, 91 kg of poppy straw, 70 kg of phenethylamine, more than 15 lakh tramadol tablets, over 36,000 bottles of codeine syrup, and several other prohibited substances seized during various enforcement operations.
Speaking on the occasion, Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) H.G.S. Dhaliwal said the exercise symbolised much more than the destruction of seized narcotics.
He said the operation represented a determined effort to dismantle the criminal networks responsible for drug trafficking, which pose a serious threat to young people, families and society at large.
Delhi Police reiterated its commitment to a strict zero-tolerance approach towards drug-related offences and said sustained action is being taken against smugglers, traffickers and peddlers operating in the capital.
According to an official statement, initiatives such as Operation Kavach, along with intensified detection drives, large-scale seizures and periodic destruction of confiscated narcotics, have significantly strengthened the city's fight against the illegal drug trade.
The statement added that the Delhi Police Commissioner has directed officers at all levels to intensify coordinated enforcement efforts with the objective of making the national capital free from the menace of narcotics.