Operation Kawach: 776 offenders held so far this year in 615 NDPS cases

New Delhi [India], June 20 : In a major crackdown on the menace of drugs in the national capital, the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police has arrested 776 narco-offenders under Operation Kawach in 615 cases of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) and recovered about 36 kgs of heroin this year to the date, a statement by the police said on Tuesday.

"To tackle the menace on all fronts, last month, a joint and sweeping operation (OPERATION KAWACH) was launched all over Delhi to focus on identifying and apprehending individuals involved in the trafficking and distribution of narcotics. During the current year (till June 19), Delhi Police has arrested 776 narco-offenders in 615 NDPS cases and recovered about 36 kgs of heroin/smack, 15 kgs of cocaine, 1800 kgs of ganja, 233 kgs of opium, 10.5 kgs of charas and 71 kgs. of poppy head etc., besides some quantities of amphetamine, etc," the official statement said.

During this operation, the official decided to target the street-level traffickers and to have both top to bottom and bottom-to-top approaches to effectively counter drug trafficking, the statement added.

"Action for coordinated raids on narco-offenders was planned with all the senior officers as well as field officers. 150 police teams consisting of the anti-narcotics task force (ANTF), Crime Branch, and all police stations of all the districts under the leadership of Commissioner of Police, Delhi were constituted to carry out the operations and chose more than," the official further said.

It further said that during these raids conducted during the intervening night of May 12-13, 31 drug offenders were arrested in 30 NDPS cases, in addition to this, 12 were arrested in 6 Excise Act cases with the recovery of illicit liquor.

"During the operation, 957.5 gms. of heroin, 57.884 kg. of ganja and 782 quarters of illicit liquor were recovered," it added.