Drug peddlers targeting youth in cities: police

With the Telangana Prohibition and Excise Police busting drug racket, in which many drug peddlers were arrested, the Andhra Pradesh police stepped up vigil at educational institutions to protect children from the drug smugglers. We have information that drug peddlers were targeting youth, particularly the teenagers in schools and colleges. More victims are from corporate schools and colleges and professional institutions in the State,” a top police officer said.

There were several instances where the police seized huge quantity of sedatives and arrested many smugglers.

Four years ago, the Vijayawada Police seized 13,049 doses of Fortwin and Pentwin injections and huge quantity of ganja from the smugglers.

As many as 52 cases were booked and 110 smugglers involved in selling sedatives were arrested then.

Drug racket

In 2012, the Krishna district police busted a drug racket and apprehended seven persons, including a medical shop owner at Mylavaram. The investigation officers seized 650 doses of Fortwin injections and ganja from their possession.

“Smugglers are developing network with senior students in schools and colleges. Their modus operandi begins with luring students at pan shops located in busy junctions, wine shops and bars through agents. Accused were procuring ganja from the tribal persons in Agency areas of Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts and sell the same by packing in small sachets to students, who are smoking it through cigarettes,” Mylavaram Circle Inspector U. Bangaru Raju, who investigated the case said.

P.V.S. Ramakrishna, the then district Superintendent of Police, said instructions were given to the college managements in Gudivada, Mylavaram, Nuzvid, Machilipatnam and other places in the district as well as the parents to be alert on drug peddlers. “The accused were targeting degree, engineering, medicine, MBA and MCA students to make good business. We also request the owners of wholesale and retail drug stores not to sell sedatives without prescription and maintain ledgers properly,” a senior police officer said.

Gutkha ban

“Ban on gutkha products is making the students to turn towards ganja and sedatives. As gutka is not available in the market, many students are addicted to whitener (a liquid used for making corrections in typed matter) and ganja,” said the officer.

Speaking to The Hindu, Director General of Police N. Sambasiva Rao said an alert was given in the State and instructions have been given to keep a tab on drug peddlers.

“Vigil has been stepped up at schools and colleges, located in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Rajamahendravaram and other cities in the State,” the DGP said.

Family problems

“It is a fact that many students are addicted to drugs and alcohol due to mental stress, family problems and poor love and affection from the parents, at the tender age. We request the parents to spend some time with their children and keep a tab on their movements,” Mr. Sambasiva Rao said.

There were also incidents of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sleuths conducting raids on a marine export unit at Gopavaram village in Kaikalur mandal in the district and on Vijayawada outskirts, suspecting that sedatives were being smuggled.

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