Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 16
The Nagaland Police Headquarters (PHQ) issued a press release today responding to a news report on seizure of narcotics from the residence of a senior IPS officer. The PHQ’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) stated that the officer in question, IGP (CID), brought the matter of impounded narcotics to the notice of the Director General of Police (DGP) on August 25 through a written explanation. This was 22 days after it was originally seized by Narcotics police personnel at the Khuzama inter-state check-post on August 3.
The drugs were recovered from the residence of the IGP (CID) on September 1.
“The matter was brought to the notice of the DGP on 25.08.2018 via a written explanatory note by IGP (CID) himself explaining the long time lapse and non registration of case,” stated the PRO without revealing the reasons cited by the IPS officer for having held on to the banned narcotics.
Further, the PRO informed, “The DGP immediately ordered ADGP (Law and Order) to make preliminary enquiry to ascertain the facts of the case. The DGP also informed the higher authorities who instructed him to take action as per the procedures of the law. DGP also ordered that the Narcotics be seized officially from IGP (CID) as it had not been done earlier, which was done on 01.09.2018.”
According to the PRO, the DGP then issued a Show Cause Notice to IGP (CID) to show reason for his conduct. “The officer in question has given his reply. Basing on the facts of the case and the preliminary enquiry report submitted by the ADGP (L/O), and the response to the Show Cause Notice served to the officer, a report is being prepared for onward submission to the government,” stated the press release.
The Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS), governs the control and regulation of drugs in the Indian Union.
Suspected brown sugar (adulterated form of heroin) to the tune of 6.9 kg was seized from the residence of the IGP (CID) on September 1 by the ADGP (L&O)—as per the seizure memo, these was contained in “11 packets” at the IPS officer’s residence. The contraband was first reported, and handed over, to the IGP (CID) on August 3 by his subordinate as per the IGP’s orders. The narcotics, in the same form as found at the IGP’s residence, were apprehended at Khuzama check-post from two persons travelling from Manipur in a car.
The NDPS Act makes it mandatory for a Drug Law Enforcement Officer to properly document all seizures and send a report to a superior within 48 hours, apart from arresting the accused. The matter was neither reported nor the two persons caught with the drugs arrested.
The DGP’s enquiry into the matter, as published earlier in The Morung Express, found the officer’s actions “not in conformity with law.”
