MP govt agrees to fit GPS in ambulances to check drug trade

The Madhya Pradesh government today admitted in the Legislative Assembly that ambulances in at least three districts have been used for smuggling drugs to other states and agreed to fit GPS in them to check the menace.
"It is the fact that people indulge in smuggling by adopting different modus operandi. Ambulances have also been used for smuggling of drugs and police have intercepted many of them," Home Minister Bhupendra Singh said while replying to a call attention motion moved by BJP MLA Yashpal Singh Sisodia (Mandsaur).
He said the government would set up a joint committee comprising officers of Home, Health, and Transport departments to crack the whip on smuggling of drugs through ambulances.

The panel would prepare a report on the basis of which the government would draft a policy.
Sisodia said ambulances are used for transporting huge amount of poppy husk and other drugs (mainly opium and its derivatives) from Ratlam, Mandsaur and Neemuch districts to Rajasthan and other states.
He said Home department was not doing enough to clamp down on the menace.

Singh said, "the number of ambulances has increased suddenly in above three districts which raises the doubt that they are being used for smuggling drugs. We have decided to verify all ambulances in these three districts".
He said the government would ensure that the ambulances are used for their intended purpose only.

"Ambulances generally take people from these three districts to Udaipur. We are going to carry out sudden checks on ambulances at the border to ensure that drug smuggling is rooted out," said the minister.
Responding to Sisodia's demand that ambulances should be connected with GPS system, the minister said, "This is a good suggestion. They would be connected with GPS".