Odisha police to attach assets, bank deposits of drug smugglers

BHUBANESWAR: Imprisonment apart, police are all set to deal a dual blow to drugs smugglers by attaching their assets and bank deposits in Odisha. The Crime Branch has asked superintendents of police (SPs) in districts to break the financial backbone of people, booked under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Till now such financial strictures were imposed on only economic offenders of chit fund and real estate scams. The Odisha vigilance too conducts financial probe against corrupt government employees.
Crime Branch says the police should trace the assets and bank deposits of the NDPS accused and his family or relatives for attachment. At present, the police only probe the routine criminal culpability of drugs smugglers, trace other gang members, ascertain the modus operandi of the offence and complete investigation by filing charge-sheet against drug smugglers in court.
“We have asked the SPs to sensitise their investigating officers (IOs) to harp on the financial investigation against NDPS accused. Attachment of their properties would prevent the drugs smugglers to revert to the same business due to blow to their financial backbone. The accused persons get imprisonment up to 10 years in NDPS cases. Property attachment would be additional punishment for them,” additional director general of police Santosh Upadhyay said. The Crime Branch’s economic offences wing (EOW) whose personnel are experts in conducting financial probe would also extend necessary assistance to the district police.
In a circular to the SPs, the Crime Branch has laid down a set of procedures that the IOs are required to adopt while conducting financial investigation against the narcotics dealers. IOs have been asked to keep surveillance on family members, relatives and friends of the NDPS accused. “We have categorically asked the IOs that they should trace those persons, who got financial benefits from the accused. All family members should not be harassed if they have not availed any financial benefits out of the profits of drugs smuggling. IOs should verify the profession, income and standard of living of the family members and relatives,” another Crime Branch officer said.
The probe agency said IOs can get clues of properties of the NDPS accused and their relatives from local tehsil office, banks, regional transport office, municipal corporation or municipality office, registrar of companies, stock exchange and insurance companies.
Odisha has earned the notoriety of witnessing massive cultivation of ganja on thousands of acres in areas, surrounded by hills and affected by left-wing extremism, and smuggling to other states. Besides, instances of brown sugar peddling occurred unabated in different parts of Odisha in regular intervals. Police seized nearly 850 quintals of ganja and over one kilogram of brown sugar in the state last year. At least 120 persons were arrested in connection with NDPS cases last year.