T.N. forms Anti-Narcotics Task Force to combat drug menace
The Tamil Nadu government has created an ‘Anti-Narcotics Task Force’ - a new unit to combat the menace of drugs. A total of ₹264 crore
The Tamil Nadu government has created an ‘Anti-Narcotics Task Force’ - a new unit to combat the menace of drugs. A total of ₹264 crore has been sanctioned to operationalise the force that would function under the direct control of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. A total of 65 ANTF units would be established across the State to detect and take stringent action against drug-related crimes. Dedicated police stations manned by an Inspector of Police and other supporting staff are set to come up in all cities and districts. An officer in the rank of an Additional Director General of Police would head the ATNF.
In a proposal sent to the government, DGP and Head of the Police Force Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, said that the emergence of ANTF police stations would transform anti-narcotics enforcement into a State-wide policing mission. Besides police officers and personnel, the unit would have specialised investigation units comprising intelligence analysts, technical experts, legal officers and others. Dedicated teams would form part of the Intelligence and Cyber Surveillance, Enforcement & Investigation, Financial Investigations, Prosecution and Awareness and Rehabilitation verticals of the force. The State government accorded sanction to create posts of 65 Police Inspectors, 260 Sub-Inspectors and 1,300 police personnel for the ANTF.
The primary objective of the new force would be to initiate strict legal action on the smuggling and sale of narcotics drugs and abuse by way of collecting intelligence, registering cases, conducting financial investigation, and pursuing effective prosecution of the cases. A dedicated 24/7 control room would be set up at the ANTF headquarters in Chennai. It would function as the central coordination and communication hub for statewide anti-narcotics enforcement, facilitating the receipt, processing and dissemination of intelligence inputs and maintaining real-time communication with field units engaged in operations. The manpower and infrastructure of the existing Narcotics Control Bureau CID would be utilised to strengthen the administrative and logistic capabilities of the ANTF.
This would enhance operational efficiency, and ensure effective and sustainable functioning of the State’s anti-narcotics enforcement framework. In the order issued by the government creating the ANTF a couple of days ago, other departments such as Health and Family Welfare, School Education, Higher Education, Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Municipal Administration and Water Supply, and Directorate of Information and Public Relations among others, were tasked with specific responsibilities in paving the way for a drug-free Tamil Nadu.
The BriefWire