Kohima Police seize 20,000 Yaba tablets in October as security forces confiscate heroin and opium in separate operations.
DIMAPUR — Kohima Police seized approximately 20,000 Yaba tablets during October, while security forces confiscated 302 grams of heroin and 6 kg of opium in separate operations, Senior Superintendent of Police (Sr. SP) Kohima, Krodi Rhetso, said during a district-level narco-coordination meeting on October 22.
The meeting, held at the Deputy Commissioner's office chamber under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kohima, B Henok Buchem, discussed strategies to strengthen enforcement, prevent drug abuse and curb illicit trafficking through coordinated efforts among various departments.
According to a DIPR report, Rhetso said the police had identified major drug trafficking routes, but smugglers continued to find alternative channels to transport contraband.
He also linked the recent rise in theft cases in the district to youth addiction, urging all stakeholders to work together to combat substance abuse and restore peace in the region.
Highlighting institutional accountability, Rhetso said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had directed that narco-coordination meetings be held every month, with the minutes submitted on time to the MHA and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
He also acknowledged the Kripa Foundation's contribution to society, stating that the Home Department had been working with the organisation to rehabilitate law enforcement personnel affected by drug addiction.
During the meeting, Director of the Kripa Foundation, Abou Mere, highlighted the underlying psychological factors contributing to drug abuse, including low self-esteem, depression, personal failure, lack of communication, the desire for instant gratification and what he termed "King Baby Syndrome".
Reflecting on the changing nature of drug addiction, he said that while the problem in the 1980s was largely associated with affluent sections of society, it had crossed socioeconomic boundaries by the 1990s and become prevalent across households.
He cautioned that drug addiction now affected people from all walks of life, including gazetted officers, uniformed personnel and daily wage earners, despite improvements in some aspects of the situation.
The meeting also reviewed activities under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan and discussed measures to strengthen efforts to eradicate drug abuse in the district.
The Drug Inspector briefed the meeting on recent grassroots-level enforcement initiatives, including targeted inspections of local pharmacies.
The department also plans to conduct comprehensive sensitisation programmes for pharmacies across Kohima to prevent the misuse of prescription drugs.
The meeting aimed to strengthen grassroots-level enforcement, improve monitoring and enhance coordination among departments to tackle drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
In his concluding remarks, DC Buchem thanked the participants for their inputs and said their suggestions would help formulate and implement an effective, coordinated action plan to combat substance abuse in the district.