SHILLONG, June 27 - Meghalaya is slowly emerging as the transit point for distribution of heroin in the country, a senior police officer has said.
�With Shillong as the transit point, many players, some with militant background or affiliations, are involved in the drug trafficking business to fund their antisocial activities,� East Khasi Hills SP Davis Marak said. He was addressing an event to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking here on Tuesday.
The rise in petty crimes in some areas has also been attributed to the growing numbers of drug users, particularly among the youth, who commit such crimes to satiate their cravings, Marak said.
Expressing concern over the fact that most traffickers come from low income families or those with a history of broken homes, the police officer stressed the need to pay more attention to the youth and urged all stakeholders to work hand in hand with the police to curb drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
The police, in its continued efforts to curb drug abuse and illicit trafficking, is also organising a week-long awareness programme in different localities, schools and colleges to create awareness, the SP said.
Earlier, Dr Arvind Nongpiur, assistant professor in Psychiatry at NEIGRIHMS, said the use of illicit drugs begins at an early age. Stressing that drug abuse is no longer considered just a social problem, he said drug abuse is accepted as an illness and drug addiction can be treated with proper medical intervention. � PTI
