New Delhi Feb 20 PTI The Narcotics Control Bureau NCB has issued an all- time high of 18 orders in the last about three months under the PITNDPS Act a rarely invoked stringent law that allows preventive detention of habitual drugs-crime offenders for up to two yearsThe detenus against whom the order has been issued include foreign nationalsDuring the detention period the accused cannot get bail or any relief that can set them freeThe federal anti-narcotics agency officials told PTI decided to use the law after NCB Director General S N Pradhan reviewed the functioning of the agency and directed that officers should only concentrate on big narcotics cases and linked cartels prepare robust cases backed with fund trail probe and ensure conviction of the accusedThe PITNDPS or Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1988 provides for the detention of persons concerned in any manner with illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for one or two years with a view to preventing them from engaging in such harmful and prejudicial activitiesAs many as 18 orders have been issued by the NCB under the PITNDPS in the last three months According to official data more than 24 such orders were issued between December 2019 and November 2021 by the agencyThose detained under the PITNDPS include foreign nationals like those from African nations who are regularly caught in drug crimes in India they saidUnder the scheme of this criminal law the prosecuting agency first prepares a proposal for the detention of a person whether under arrest or otherwise making a case that unless prevented the persons is likely to continue harmful and prejudicial activities by engaging in illicit traffic of drugs This proposal is subsequently vetted by a designated screening committee which either recommends the detention proposal to the detaining authority or disallows itThe detaining authority is either an officer of the rank of joint secretary at the centre or a chief secretary in the state and it can issue a detention order for a period of one year extendable to two years under certain conditions subject to confirmation by an advisory board in the high courtDetention under the law is also one of the grounds that allows the agency to attach the assets of an accused The detention period also helps investigators to go deep into the crime nexus and apprehend more people and disrupt the syndicate they saidThe officials said post the review by the NCB chief the agency has started looking at cases involving repeat or habitual narcotics criminals not only in their files but also in big cases handed over by the statesThe review came around the same time when the agency got embroiled in controversies following its October last year raids on the Cordelia cruise in Mumbai where the impartiality of the panchas witnesses deployed by it came under question and even allegations of extortion were raised against the investigatorsThese charges are currently being probed as part of an internal NCB vigilance enquiryKeeping in mind the magnitude of the drugs challenge the Union Home Ministry has also recently sanctioned a total of 1826 new posts to the NCB and this new manpower will be used to create a new cyber operations wing additional zonal and sub-zonal offices in the country and creating more ranks in the supervisory rank of deputy director general DDGAfter the final sanction is received from the government the recruitment and deputation process for the new posts will be initiated they saidThe agency at present has a sanctioned strength of about 1100 personnel out of which it has an actual strength of just over 700 staffers About 50 public prosecutors have also been engaged by the agency to present their cases before respective courts The agency never had these many prosecutors at one time to fight its cases the officials said PTI NES TIR TIR

Mumbai Jan 21 PTI The Narcotics Control Bureau NCB on Friday seized over 39 kg of ephedrine concealed in a consignment of womens clothing in the western suburb of Andheri here an official said The NCBs Mumbai zonal unit conducted an operation in Andheri east and seized the contraband which had originated from Pune the official said At least 3950 kg of ephedrine was concealed in womens clothing which was meant to be shipped to Australia he said A case has been registered in this regard and further probe is underway he added PTI DC ARU ARU

Mumbai Dec 26 PTI The Narcotics Control Bureau NCB has started a campaign to keep school campuses free of drugs in Mumbai and has identified 200 institutions to help in the initiative an official said on Sunday The campaign has started from a well-known school in Santacruz and the response from the students there has been tremendous NCB Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede told PTI We are asking students to take a pledge to keep their campus drug-free and to inform the NCB if anyone is indulging in drugs inside it or within the vicinity A link will be sent to schools for students including those in NCC to take the pledge he said Students who take the pledge will get a certificate from the Ministry of Home Affairs under which the anti-drug agency operates as well as the NCB and this can be downloaded Wankhede informed PTI ZA BNM BNM BNM

Mumbai Nov 23 PTI The Narcotics Control Bureau NCB has busted a drug manufacturing unit in Kamtha area of Maharashtras Nanded district and apprehended three persons in this connection an official said on Tuesday Based on a tip-off the NCBs Mumbai zonal unit on Monday raided three shops where a drug manufacturing unit was being operated the official said The NCB team seized 111 kg of poppy straw 14 kg of opium Rs 155 lakh cash and recovered equipment such as two grinding machines an electronic scale and a note counting machine he said The NCB has nabbed three persons in this connection and a case has been registered against them the official said adding that further probe is underway PTI DC ARU ARU

Mumbai Oct 25 PTI The Narcotics Control Bureau NCB and its zonal director Sameer Wankhede approached a special court here on Monday against allegations of extortion levelled against them in the cruise drugs seizure case in which Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khans son Aryan Khan is an accused Wankhede in his affidavit submitted to the court refuted the allegations levelled against him and claimed he was under a lurking threat of arrest as it does not suit some vested interests for conducting an honest and impartial investigation Wankhede also claimed that he was being personally targeted by a well-known political figure and the only reason he can fathom is that the NCB had arrested this persons son-in-law Sameer Khan Notably Sameer Khan is the son-in-law of NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik The NCB and Wankhede in their affidavits submitted to the court designated to hear cases related to the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act NDPS also said the allegations against them were an attempt to create hurdles and scuttle the investigation in the case The NCB in its affidavit sought that there should be no tampering with the evidence or investigation in the case On Sunday an independent witness in the case in a statement to the media claimed that Rs 25 crore was demanded by an official of the NCB and other persons including absconding witness K P Gosavi to let off Aryan Khan in the case Prabhakar Sail the independent witness told media persons that he had overheard Gosavi telling one Sam DSouza over the phone after Aryan Khan was brought to the NCB office following the October 2 raid about a demand of Rs 25 crore and to settle at Rs 18 crore as they have to give Rs eight crore to Sameer Wankhede Sail had said he would soon release evidence to support his claim The NCB and Wankhede rubbished these claims in their affidavits submitted to the court on Monday After spearheading the investigation in the cruise ship case I am being personally targeted by a well-known political figure for reasons best known to him Wankhede said in his affidavit adding the only reason he can fathom is that the NCB had arrested this politicians son-in-law Sameer Khan Wankhedes affidavit claimed there has been personal vendetta against him and his family members I am under a lurking threat of arrest as it does not suit some vested interests for conducting an honest and impartial investigation Wankhede said adding he was ready to face probe to prove his innocence He added that the court should take cognisance of such pressures put on officers with an intent to demoralise them so that the truth does not come to light The present case cruise drugs case involves influential and rich persons from the higher echelons of the society in which all kinds of threats including that of arrest are made against me Wankhede said The Narcotics Control Bureau in its affidavit termed the allegations levelled against Wankhede and other officers as completely false misleading and mischievous and an attempt to malign and tarnish the image of an independent agency like the NCB The allegations of extortion against NCB officials and money changing hands is a clear attempt to undermine the ongoing investigation and create pressure with malafide and ulterior motive it said The agency added that its officers including Wankhede have an impeccable service record replete with honesty and integrity and they are working tirelessly towards making Mumbai a drug-free city Special public prosecutor for the NCB Advait Sethna on Monday submitted the affidavits before the special court Sethna told the court that Sail was threatening to release some evidence which would hamper the case and hence appropriate orders should be passed The court after hearing Sethna and perusing the affidavits said it would pass appropriate orders later in the day Wankhede on Sunday also wrote to Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale seeking protection from likely legal action being planned against him by unknown persons to falsely frame him concerning an alleged vigilance related issue Without taking names Wankhede an IRS officer of the 2008 batch had claimed in his letter to Nagrale that the threat of jail and dismissal have been issued against him on public media by highly respectable public functionaries An NCB team led by Wankhede earlier this month allegedly seized drugs onboard a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast following which Aryan Khan was arrested on October 3 He is currently lodged in the Arthur Road jail in Mumbai His bail application is likely to be heard by the Bombay High Court on Tuesday PTI SP VT GK GK GK