Telangana registers nearly 500 NDPS cases in first quarter of 2024, marijuana tops the chart
The Hindu
Telangana sees 487 drug seizures in 2024, with marijuana topping the list.
Amid the rising drug menace, Telangana has seen close to 500 drug seizures in the first three months of 2024.
The State registered a total of 487 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, with 981 arrests in the first quarter of the calendar year, as per the data shared by the officials at Telangana State Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TSNAB).
February marked the highest number of cases at 167, followed by 162 cases in January, and 158 cases in March.
To put things in context, this is an 80.28% jump from just 96 cases registered in the pre-pandemic quarter in 2019.
In the list of 15 drugs across the natural, semi-synthetic, synthetic and pharmaceutical categories, marijuana or ganja topped the list with seized quantities in the range of 5,900.94 kilograms. In January, 2,111.16 gram was seized, followed by 1691.47 grams in February, and 2,098.30 grams in March.
“Ganja is more prevalent because it is easily available, cheaper and can be used in a variety of ways as compared to other drugs. Over the last few months, we are seeing more minors getting involved in drug cases, and ganja is usually the starting point for them,” explained S. Rashmi Perumal, in-charge of Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (HNEW), which targets the demand and supply cycle of drugs at a city level.