Despite the ongoing efforts of investigating agencies, the illegal drug trade in Mumbai shows no signs of slowing down. While the police and its associated branches are conducting raids to dismantle the hideouts of drug smugglers, traffickers continue their operations, adopting new methods to transport drug consignments.
According to official data, the police seized drugs worth Rs 484 crore in the first nine months of the year. During this period, authorities registered 860 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and arrested 1,010 individuals. Additionally, 5,090 people were arrested for drug consumption.
Last year, 1,401 cases were registered, 1,714 individuals were arrested, and drugs worth Rs 413 crore were recovered. The police also took action against 9,933 individuals for drug consumption in 2023.
In the past nine months, 538 cases related to ganja were registered, the highest number among all drugs. In these cases, police arrested 561 individuals and recovered Rs2.56 crore worth of ganja. Following this, 191 cases related to MD were filed, leading to the arrest of 275 individuals and the recovery of MD worth Rs449 crore. For charas, 31 cases were registered, resulting in 37 arrests and the recovery of Rs12.89 crores worth of drugs. Meanwhile, 28 cases involving heroin and 12 cases involving cocaine were registered, with 40 and 18 individuals arrested, respectively. The police recovered Rs7.41 crore worth of heroin and Rs12.3 crore worth of cocaine.
A police officer stated, “The authorities are doing their best. The police and other agencies are taking action to dismantle drug factories. Another important aspect is raising awareness. The administration is continuously running campaigns in Mumbai, and seven de-addiction centres have been established.”
In Mumbai, the government runs centres at KEM Hospital, GT Hospital, Bhardawadi Hospital, Rajawadi Hospital, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Bai Yamunabai Laxman Nair Charitable Hospital, and Dr RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital.
Dr Mujahid Shaikh, from the de-addiction centre at Sion Hospital, stated, “Every day, more than 50 individuals visit our centre for treatment. Younger individuals, including women, are more frequent visitors. They face different issues such as depression, relationship problems, family struggles, poverty, and other challenges. Sometimes the police send accused individuals to our centre for treatment, and after we treat them, they are re-arrested and sent back to us. Creating awareness is crucial to addressing this issue.”
