Hyderabad, July 2 : Telangana has registered 1,982 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in the first half of the calendar year, indicating the rising drug menace in the state.





A total of 3,792 accused were arrested and contraband worth Rs.179.3 crores were seized, said Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGNAB).



It also freezed properties worth Rs.47.16 crore of the narco offenders and their henchmen in five cases.



TGNAB officials said 679 cases involving 42,190 kgs of drugs worth Rs.102.41 crores were disposed of.



Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday visited the Telangana Command & Control Centre (TGCCC) on Tuesday and chaired an interaction meeting with law and order officers of the Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda commissionerates.



The Chief Minister stated that the government is committed to make Telangana a drug-free state. He called for tackling the drug menace with an iron hand.



The Chief Minister flagged off vehicles for TGNAB, which was established last year. The Bureau is receiving all support and funds from the government.



The government has provided Rs 50 crores to the Bureau and released the budget for providing new vehicles to its offices. A total of 20 Innovas, 7 Boleros and 59 motorcycles have been provided.



The Bureau is making preparations to set up seven regional anti-narcotics centres across the state along with four narcotic police stations in the next one or two months.



The Chief Minister said that the government is determined to make the Officers of TGANB available with the latest technology used in the country and abroad and provide advanced training to make them proficient.



TGANB has established seven narcotic labs with the latest technologies to detect/trace drug trafficking, distributors and registering the cases.



The government also sanctioned 170 additional staff for the Bureau. It decided to encourage the Anti-Narcotic Bureau personnel who are working hard in drug prevention by providing 60 per cent additional allowance.



TGNAB officials are carrying out extensive raids in cities like Mumbai, Calcutta, Bangalore, Chennai and Goa to arrest the drug suppliers who are expanding across the country. It claimed that due to the raids, the gangs operating in the state are shifting to neighbouring states.



The main criminals who have links with international crime empires were arrested and the dark network of kingpins was broken.



Drug orders are being monitored through online, shopping apps, food apps, etc. and legal action is being taken.



The officials said with the permission of courts, 36,662 kg of cannabis worth Rs 84.6 crores were burnt through non-polluting and environment-friendly methods.



/IANS