First, the seizure of 3 kg of ice drugs in the border village of Burj and now 3.5 kg of marijuana from two passengers at Sri Guru Ramdas International Airport has raised the question of who is importing such drugs, putting security agencies on alert. In Amritsar, after the rise of chitta, marijuana and ice drugs are also on the rise. There are some bars in the city where parties go on till late night, and sources indicate that these establishments also offer all kinds of drugs, from hookah to other drugs. This is currently a matter of investigation for security agencies.
The central agency NCB also recently raided some such bars, and the Excise Department has also taken action against bars hosting late-night parties. Regarding marijuana, this is not a new issue at Amritsar Airport. Earlier in March, marijuana worth ₹8 crore (approximately $1.8 billion) was seized from the luggage of a young man named Amandeep Singh on a flight from Malaysia. The marijuana was of high quality. According to reports, Amandeep Singh had acquired the marijuana from Bangkok, as flights from Bangkok to India are monitored by security agencies and subject to more rigorous passenger screening than regular flights. Amandeep Singh was sent from Bangkok to Malaysia with the marijuana consignment to avoid suspicion from the Customs Department and ensure the marijuana could be transported to Amritsar Airport without any hassle. Amandeep was only 21 years old.
Investigation narrowed to a smuggler from Kolkata
Following Amandeep’s arrest, the Customs Department arrested another associate of Amandeep, a resident of Kolkata. His role was to lure unemployed and economically disadvantaged youth with the promise of money and use them as a conduit for smuggling. Currently, the Customs Department is taking this matter very seriously and is trying to determine whether the marijuana was intended for consumption within Punjab or for supply to other states. However, it cannot be denied that young people and others consume marijuana, hashish, cocaine, and other drugs in some of the larger hotels.
Dozens of smugglers have been caught in BSF-NTF operations.
Countries like Pakistan are targeting young people living in border villages to smuggle heroin and other drugs. This can be gauged from the fact that dozens of smugglers have been caught with heroin consignments by the BSF, ANTF (Anti-Narcotics Task Force), NCB, and police. All the smugglers arrested are between the ages of 18 and 25. Such young people, lured by the prospect of earning quick money with minimal effort, fall prey to smugglers and then spend their entire lives as henchmen of big smugglers, because once caught and sent to jail, they return with even more networks.
Consumption of marijuana, hashish, and cocaine is high in hill stations
Talking about marijuana and its related drugs, it is found that in most hill stations where tourists from abroad come and spend a lot of time, drugs like marijuana, ice drugs, hashish, and cocaine are consumed in high quantities. However, in some stations, bhang is also consumed.
