Hyderabad: The Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) in coordination with the state police units, arrested 4,682 persons in 1,942 cases of drug trafficking in 2024. Drugs worth 142.95 crore were seized, according to the annual report by the Telangana state police released on Sunday, December 29.
TGANB managed to obtain orders under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976 (SAFEMA) and froze properties worth Rs. 55.8 crore in ten NDPS Act cases. In another 122 cases, the bureau is in the process of obtaining the orders.
“The properties acquired from ill-gotten money through drug cases are seized. It will be put to public auction and revenue earned through it deposited in the government treasury,” said the officials.
The conviction rate in NDPS cases almost doubled this year in Telangana with 102 people sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment for drug trafficking.
Crime in Telangana up by 9.87pc in 2024, convictions drop
To curb and monitor drug and substance abuse in the state, TGNAB will form 19 additional special teams consisting of officers from departments of Prohibition and Excise, local police and TGNAB. While two of the 19 teams will carry out a mouth swab drug test, the remaining will be equipped with ABON (urine kit).
The ABON (urine kit) detects six commonly abused drugs, including opioids, benzodiazepines, amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine, providing comprehensive screening capabilities.
The teams will visit pubs, bars, hotels and resorts where New Year events are scheduled. Sniffer dogs will be up into service to identify drugs concealed in cars, parking places, escalators and other places.
The bureau had already issued guidelines to the local law enforcement agencies to ensure the management of pubs, bars and other recreational places submit the details of the music band members and DJs.
