Anti-Narcotics Cell has been told to beef up vigilance & keep us in the loop: Rakesh Maria

Can you tell us what leads to the nexus between cops and drug peddlers? What lures the former into peddling and trafficking?
Greed is the biggest reason. Unfortunately, greed and corruption has permeated everywhere and people are finding ways to make easy and fast money. It is sad that those who are supposed to safeguard the society are becoming a threat themselves. It is possible that because drug trafficking is clandestine and involves a lot of money, officers get lured into it easily. To avoid getting caught, peddlers themselves lure policemen with drug money, which is very unfortunate.

What actions and mechanisms are being put in place to prevent this?
We have zero tolerance for such crimes. Following the incident involving the Marine Drive constable, we have taken some serious measures. An officer will not be posted in the same department for too long and his performance will be measured on a regular basis by his superiors. We will also keep a track of his contacts and work visits. We have also asked the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) to beef up their intelligence network so that they are well-informed about such activities. We want to nip it in the bud through our intelligence before it becomes rampant.

Many superiors are not in the know about their subordinates' activities. Are there any inherent loopholes in the system?
We are going to make the system as foolproof as possible. Sometimes, our intelligence system fails to detect such activities. But we have ordered all senior level officers to keep a check on their subordinates and submit regular reports of their conduct and works. Such incidents will not be taken lightly. The ANC has been ordered to strengthen its vigilance and intelligence and take necessary steps, if it suspects any nexus between cops and peddlers.