MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday informed the legislative assembly that the assets and properties of people involved in drug peddling and manufacturing would be attached under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. The house was also informed that 15 policemen had been sacked and 10 suspended for their involvement in drug supply and peddling in the last one year.
The CM was replying to a question raised by MLAs from both the treasury and opposition benches, who pointed to the involvement of the police in drug peddling. Varun Sardesai, Vandre East MLA, said he had submitted a pen drive to the zonal DCP showing a police officer consuming drugs on duty but no action was taken—Sardesai alleged that this was because the police extorted money from drug peddlers by threatening action against them. Hemant Ogale, Shrirampur MLA, said that police personnel from Ahilyanagar were found selling the drugs that they had seized in raids.
To this Fadnavis responded that the government had zero tolerance for drug-dealing, and strict action was initiated against police personnel found involved in this. He added that courier services were being sensitised after it was found that their services were being used for the supply of the drugs. “We have warned them that we will take stringent action if they are found to be involved in the supply,” he said. “Drug manufacturing has become very easy, as no large factories or set-ups are required for this. We are closely watching if the ingredients used to make drugs are actually procured for some other purpose.”