Thiruvananthapuram: Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has called for a tougher NDPS Act to ensure stricter punishment for drug peddlers and urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to convene a meeting of the Centre and states to work towards a drug-free India.
Chennithala, in a Facebook post, said that he has sent a letter to Shah requesting the meeting.
The minister said that drug seizures in Keralam, under the state’s ‘Operation Toofan’ anti-narcotics drive, have revealed extensive networks that reach well beyond the state’s borders and even into foreign countries.
“Consequently, urgent intervention at the national level is essential,” he said.
He said that Shah has been requested to convene the special meeting of home ministers of all states to hold detailed consultations regarding a complete revision of the law and the implementation of strict follow-up measures, as the drug mafia was “operating freely by exploiting loopholes in the existing legal framework.”
“Practices such as repackaging large quantities of narcotics into smaller units for distribution, the introduction of new synthetic drugs into the market, the exploitation of delays in forensic testing, and the concealment of funds in ‘benami’ (proxy) accounts all expose the inherent weaknesses in the current legal system.
“The fact that those who are arrested can easily secure bail by exploiting legal loopholes, only to return to the same drug-trafficking trade, serves as evidence of how weak the current law is,” Chennithala said in his post.
He said that this situation cannot be allowed to persist and requires a comprehensive overhaul of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act to ensure extremely stringent penalties for such repeat offences.
“The law must be strengthened by incorporating more rigorous provisions. Furthermore, decisive action must be taken to dismantle the financial foundations of the drug mafia and to immediately confiscate their assets,” he added.
The minister said that he has conveyed Keralam’s willingness to host this meeting to Shah.
He also said that when he recently met Shah at Amritapuri, the union home minister had expressed his appreciation for the progress of ‘Operation Toofan.’
Chennithala said that since the central government views this issue with the utmost seriousness, the “merchants of death” can only be eradicated once and for all if investigative coordination is strengthened and comprehensive legal reforms are implemented as soon as possible.
“What is required now is an uncompromising, collective fight against this menace,” he emphasised.
