Gandhinagar, Sep 6 — Gujarat Police will set up dedicated Anti-Narcotics Wings (ANWs) in every district and commissionerate, with the units ordered to become operational within seven days, as part of a move to give specialised teams exclusive responsibility for investigating offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The decision has been taken by Director General of Police (DGP) Gyanendra Singh Malik, with the ANWs to function on the lines of the state-level Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF).
The move comes as the state steps up its enforcement against drug trafficking and peddling. The announcement was made on Sunday.
According to the police, Gujarat has registered more than 3,700 cases under the NDPS Act and arrested 5,346 accused over the past five years.
During the same period, more than 1.36 lakh kg of narcotic substances, estimated to be worth around Rs 13,600 crore, was seized.
Each ANW will comprise eight personnel — one police inspector, one police sub-inspector, two assistant sub-inspectors or head constables and four police constables. Each unit will also have a dedicated vehicle and driver.
At the district level, the units will operate under the direct supervision of the superintendent of police.
In the four major commissionerates, Ahmedabad and Surat will each have two ANW units, while Vadodara and Rajkot will have one each. These units will function under the supervision of the respective joint or additional commissioners of police.
The ANWs will be designated as specialised task forces and will not be assigned duties unrelated to NDPS offences.
Their responsibilities will include maintaining continuous surveillance of drug peddlers and drug hotspots identified by the ANTF.
They will also send proposals to CID Crime for preventive action under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act against habitual drug offenders.
The creation of the specialised units will not remove the responsibility of local police stations to detect narcotics offences.
However, the police chief has directed that strict disciplinary action be taken if any negligence or laxity by local police is found during investigations conducted by the ANWs.
Malik had previously directed that local police remain accountable for narcotics activity within their jurisdictions, even when cases are detected by specialised agencies.
Gujarat Police has also highlighted its Drug Reward Policy, under which police personnel and informants providing information leading to action against drug networks can be rewarded.
The state has also introduced an out-of-turn promotion policy for personnel who perform duties involving risks to their lives.
Another component of the anti-narcotics strategy is the use of artificial intelligence. Police said an AI-based software named NARIT has been developed to detect activities on the dark web, trace financial trails and identify international links.
Scientific investigation methods are also being used with the stated objective of improving conviction rates in narcotics cases.
Alongside enforcement, the state plans to modernise de-addiction centres to provide counselling and treatment to young people affected by drug addiction.
The approach combines action against drug trafficking networks with rehabilitation measures for those struggling with substance dependence.