Daijiworld Media Network - Patna

Patna, Sep 3: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) destroyed seized narcotic drugs valued at Rs 4.54 crore in Patna, reaffirming its commitment to a drug-free India, an official said on Thursday.

The large-scale disposal underscores the NCB’s resolve to prevent the recirculation of seized narcotics and disrupt drug trafficking networks, an official statement said.

Seeking public support to strengthen the fight against drug cartels, the NCB said citizens can report narcotics-related information through the MANAS Helpline (toll-free: 1933). The identities of informers are kept strictly confidential.

Earlier, on August 31, as part of its national outreach programme, the NCB, Mumbai, organised a seminar on the Voluntary Code of Conduct (VCC) for precursor and other chemicals at the Scitech Centre in Mumbai.

During the seminar, the objective of the VCC was explained to participants, the NCB said.

Participants included representatives of several organisations, the pharmaceutical industry and trade and chemical associations, including ICC, IDMA, Chemexil and the Chemical and Alkali Merchants Association.

The seminar was presided over by the Deputy Director General (DDG), South Western Region (SWR), NCB. The DDG and Additional Director, NCB Mumbai, addressed the gathering. Representatives of industry and trade associations also expressed their views on the VCC.

On September 1, the quarterly state-level Joint Coordination Committee meeting for the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands was convened by the NCB in Port Blair to further strengthen inter-agency coordination against emerging narcotics threats, according to another statement.

The meeting, chaired by the DDG, NCB Eastern Region, witnessed active participation from officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Customs, Income Tax, Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST), Indian Coast Guard, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF).

The discussions focused on emerging modus operandi of traffickers, inter-agency coordination, financial investigations, intelligence sharing and best practices for effective enforcement and network-centric investigations, the statement said.

The NCB also highlighted the effective implementation of the Vision Document on Narcotics Control, strategic priorities for coordinated action against drug trafficking and dismantling narco-networks, as well as red-flag indicators for identifying clandestine laboratories, it said.