Crackdown on Illegal Drugs: Bilaspur Police Intensifies Campaign under Chief Minister’s Directive
Under the directive of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel to combat the menace of drugs, an extensive campaign against illegal narcotics is being conducted. The initiative, overseen by IG Bilaspur Anand Chhabra and SP Bilaspur Santosh Singh, has been underway since February this year, guided by the leadership of DGP Ashok Juneja.
Working under the guidance of Superintendent of Police, Bilaspur, Santosh Singh, and with the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police, City, Rajendra Jaiswal, and Additional Superintendent of Police, Rural, Rahul Dev Sharma, the police station in-charges of Bilaspur have taken swift and comprehensive action against individuals involved in illegal drug activities in their respective areas.
SP Santosh Singh highlighted that a 21 per cent increase in overall crimes, resulting in the registration of 7015 cases, is primarily attributed to intensified proceedings related to NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) and Excise offences. The persistent issue of road accidents has shown some restraint, compared to the high incidents reported in the previous year.
Throughout the campaign period, 2955 individuals were apprehended across 2849 Excise cases, while 151 suspects were detained in connection with 119 NDPS cases. The police also seized illicit drugs worth 1.09 crore rupees. Among those arrested for Excise violations, a significant portion was involved in public consumption of liquor, leading to the confiscation of 11797 litres of contraband alcohol. Furthermore, 749 kilograms of ganja and other intoxicants were confiscated in NDPS-related cases. The intensified legal proceedings have significantly disrupted criminal operations.
In the locality of Kotpa, 608 individuals faced legal consequences. Additionally, 974 motorists were taken to task for driving under the influence of substances, with each case presented in court and resulting in hefty fines of ten thousand rupees per offender.
A robust total of 2022 awareness programs were conducted across schools, colleges, and public spaces—these initiatives, supported by public cooperation, aimed at raising awareness against drug addiction. By identifying and counselling hundreds of affected individuals, police stations, in collaboration with various organizations, successfully steered numerous individuals away from the clutches of drugs.
