Special enactment of NDPS Act against drug kingpins - city police chief

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jan 08, 2016: Drug runners in this coastal city are in to face concerted action by city police who have decided to go all out against them. Taking serious note of recent unsuccessful bid by two women to send ganja in to the district prison, city police chief M Chandra Sekhar said chapter 5 (A) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act will be invoked against offenders which will empower police to undertake financial investigation as well.

Hitherto, police investigation of narcotics was largely restricted to ascertaining the source from where the accused procured the drug and the network behind it. Describing chapter 5 (A) of the Act as a special enactment, Sekhar said it empowers the station house officer to invoke the same against accused and conduct detailed financial investigation of their income source and the burden of proving the legality of income resting solely on the accused.

This enactment will empower police to freeze and seize all illegally acquired property of the accused, he said adding police can also cast their net wide and go after the relatives of the accused and get to the bottom of their financial source as well. This he said is for the primary reason that most people stash their ill-gotten wealth with their family and associates, Chief Sekhar said it will also give police a path to nab  all associates of drug kingpins.