Andhra to set up special task force to deal with drug menace

The Andhra Pradesh police chief today revealed that some officials, including police personnel, were involved in the transportation of drugs and said a special task force will be set up to curb the menace.
Excise department officials will be part of the task force.
"We are very serious about this. Very soon we will constitute a special task force along with excise officials to curb the drug menace," Director General of Police (in-charge) Nanduri Sambasiva Rao said here.
The announcement comes in the backdrop of a drug racket coming to light in adjoining Telangana, where a dozen peddlers have been arrested. Several Tollywood personalities have been summoned by a special probe team for questioning in connection with the racket.

"The drug menace has transcended a certain boundary. We have to stop it. The chief minister also expressed serious concern over this, saying a generation is being lost because of drugs and unimaginable crimes are happening," the DGP said in Tiruchanur.
"Unfortunately, some officials, including police, are involved in the transportation of drugs. Irrespective of the rank, we are arresting them, suspending them. Since a lot of money is involved, some officials are falling prey to the allurement. We are very serious about them," he added.
Asked to elaborate on this, the DGP told PTI that three inspectors were recently suspended over their involvement in the drug racket.

"Hyderabad is a centre (for drugs), no doubt. We are not sure about narcotics in the state but ganja, for sure, is alarming. Ganja is being cultivated in the agency (tribal) areas and transported to other places. Our job is to see this menace is controlled," Rao said.