Mumbai, Jul 15 (PTI) Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam on Tuesday said authorities will be able to act more effectively against drug offenders, as the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) can now be invoked in large drug seizures.
Speaking to reporters at the legislature complex here, he said the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act clearly defines `small quantity’ and `commercial quantity’ of drugs.
An amendment to MCOCA which allows its invocation in cases where commercial quantities of drugs are involved was passed by both Houses of the legislature.
With this, authorities will have more powers to trace the origins of drugs and apprehend suppliers and transporters, the minister said.
More than 10,000 drug-related cases have been registered in the state over the past five years, Kadam informed, “We are aggressively pursuing such cases, which is why the number appears large….I assure you, MCOCA will not be misused,” he said.
To the criticism over the state’s inability to apprehend major players in the drug trade, Kadam pointed out that recently a drug offender who had fled to Dubai and an individual who had taken Australian citizenship were brought back in separate cases.
He also raised concerns about certain foreign nationals, particularly Nigerians, misusing India’s legal system to avoid deportation.
“Some of them deliberately engage in criminal activities to prolong their stay in India. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has already discussed this with the Union government. A study is underway to create a legal framework to address such misuse,” Kadam stated. PTI ND KRK
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