Demand for marijuana, opium increased during lockdown

There was a sudden increase in the smuggling of marijuana and opium in the Delhi-NCR areas since the lockdown started. As the supply of cocaine and heroin in the country was almost stopped due to the closure of air routes, the demand for marijuana and opium increased.

New Delhi: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has revealed that the smuggling of marijuana and opium have suddenly increased in the Delhi-NCR areas since the lockdown started.

NCB's investigation revealed that the supply of cocaine and heroin in the country was almost stopped as the lockdown was put in place to check the spread of coronavirus.

Due to this, the demand for marijuana and opium increased among the drug addicts leading to a spike in its smuggling.

During the lockdown, the NCB has recovered 400 kg of opium and 2000 kg of marijuana from smugglers.

Zonal Director of NCB, KPS Malhotra said that most of the time, air routes are used for smuggling cocaine and heroin in India.

Both the drugs were not coming to India due to the closure of the air routes during the lockdown.

The NCB believes that when drug addicts did not get the supply of cocaine and heroin, they started taking marijuana and opium. Due to this, their demand increased rapidly.

Malhotra said that the curfew passes were issued to the trucks to deliver essential goods like ration, fruits, vegetables etc. during the lockdown.

Smugglers used it for smuggling marijuana and opium. They trafficked sacks of marijuana and opium among fruits and vegetables.

The NCB revealed that they once recovered opium hidden in a truck tire.

Ahmedabad, Rajasthan and Lucknow units seized opium from several such vehicles in which necessary goods were being transported through curfew passes.

In one of the cases, a gang in the guise of transporting labourers was actually smuggling opium from Jharkhand to Punjab but was nabbed.

In most of the cases, the consignment was being taken to Delhi-NCR, Haryana and Punjab. Apart from this, a consignment of marijuana was also being trafficked from Jharkhand, which was not supplied in such a huge quantity before.

The crime branch has busted such smuggling rackets many times, but in spite of this, their work continues unabated.

Police officials believe that a large amount of marijuana has also been sent from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh during the lockdown.

Being a Naxalite affected area, it is very difficult for the police or any other investigating agency to conduct raids at these places.

The manner in which the drug smuggling is growing across the country is a cause of concern among all agencies.

The most surprising element is that the agencies are able to catch only three to five per cent of all the smuggled consignments while the rest escape the eyes of the sleuths.