Pubdate: Thu, 04 Apr 2002
Source: Times of India, The (India)
Copyright: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 2002
Contact:  http://www.timesofindia.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/453
Author: Times News Network

TRAINING ON CURBING DRUG TRAFFICKING BEGINS

BANGALORE: Narcotic drugs like heroin, mandrax and other precursor drugs 
continue to be smuggled into India from Afganistan and Pakistan. India 
remains a transit point for the smuggling. However, the manufacture of 
these drugs in Afganistan, which is a prime source for heroin, has come down.

According to statistics, in the year 2000, 320 tonnes of heroin was 
produced, whereas in 2001, only 30 tonnes were produced. However, the 
problem of drug traficking continued to be a problem both in the Golden 
triangle - Burma, Laos, Thailand and in the Golden Crescent - Pakistan, 
Iran and Afganisthan.

To provide training to officers of the Central Excise and Customs in 
dealing with such drug traficking, a national training for drug law 
enforcement officers of the Customs and Central Excise, Bangalore, 
commenced on Wednesday. The programme is part of the United Nations Drug 
Control Programme (UNDCP) Regional Precurosor Control Project for SAARC 
countries.

Speaking at the inaugural, UNDCP Regional Representative Renate Ehmer 
explained the role of drug enforcing officers in curbing the menace. 
PRecursor chemicals are substances with perfectly legitimate uses in the 
pharmaceutical, textile, and other industries but without which narcotic 
drugs and psychotropic substances such as cocaine, heroin and amphetamines 
cannot be produced or manufactured.

The traffickers have managed to divert these precursor chemicals from 
legitimate commerce to illicit channels and use them in the production of 
narcotic drugs.

Chief Commisisoner of Customs and Central Excise, Bangalore, P.R.V.Ramanan 
said continuous training and retraining of the drug enforcing officers 
would help in the control and monitoring of movement of such drugs.

UNDCP Regional Precursor Control Project Manager Devendra Dutt spoke on the 
concept of precursor control, need for regulating precursor chemicals, and 
on U.N. conventions of 1961, 1971 and 1988 and their relevance to precursor 
chemicals.

Commissioner of Central Excise, Bangalore-III Lalitha John proposed a vote 
of thanks.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Alex