Navi Mumbai a drug haven, students targeted

Going by the statistics available with the anti-narcotic cell of Navi Mumbai police, drug racketeers are targeting campuses and are finding easy customers in students. It's barely a month into the new year, and four cases have already been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Navi Mumbai alone. Police also arrested five persons, including a woman peddler, in these cases.The statistics for 2016 shows that there has been a 350 per cent rise in cases registered under the NDPS Act. While in 2015, 17 cases were registered and 22 arrested. In 2016, the cases registered swelled to 77 and those arrested to 94. Vinod Chavan, senior police inspector who heads the anti-narcotic cell of Navi Mumbai police, attributed the increase in numbers to extra efforts put in by the cell to crack down on drug peddlers.The cell was set up in July 2016 after Navi Mumbai police came across a few cases where students were found getting addicted to banned drugs. The cell has already — in the last six months — counselled over 30 students, who are enrolled in medical and engineering colleges. "Youth in the age group of 20 to 30 are the main targets of drug racketeers," said Chavan.Harmony Foundation, an NGO running a de-addiction-cum-rehabilitation centre in Panvel, too confirmed that it is the students from Navi Mumbai that are being treated. The haul of drugs range from marijuana to LSD (a hallucinogenic drug) to ecstasy pills.Police have also found an increase in sale of such drugs during exam time. "These drugs kick in immediately and students get addicted once they use it for a couple of times," said Chavan.Drug racketeers also keep an eye on student activities like fresher parties, late night gatherings including cricket matches and New Year revelries. From low-cost contraband to expensive drugs like LSD, the racketeers make it available to students as per the demand.