Darjeeling cops intensify crackdown on drug trafficking at Panitanki border

MP, 19 Jan 2025, Siliguri: The India-Nepal border at Panitanki, Kharibari, has become a hotspot for drug trafficking, with alarming quantities of narcotics being recovered from the region in recent months. 

Praveen Prakash Superintendent of Police (SP) Darjeeling has urged local residents to assist the police in combating the issue by sharing information on drug trafficking or consumption. 

Addressing a press conference at Panitanki Police Outpost on Saturday, the SP emphasised the importance of public participation in the fight against drugs. “We need help from locals to combat drug trafficking. 

Anyone can directly send me a message to report drug-related activities, and we will take prompt action,” he stated. The SP also shared his contact details (9147889045) with the public, encouraging them to report any suspicious activities. 

The SP revealed that within two months, around 25 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act have been registered, resulting in the arrest of approximately 60 individuals under Kharibari, Naxalbari and Phansidewa. 

The police confiscated 1,500 grams of brown sugar, 1,500 kilograms of cannabis, 1,400 bottles of cough syrup, 15,000 drug tablets and cash worth Rs 10 lakh from these areas within two months. On Friday, a woman, identified as Jyoti Chhetri, was arrested with 585 bottles of cough syrup and 4,500 drug tablets. 

The drugs were found hidden underground at her residence. The proximity of the Panitanki border to Nepal has made it a vulnerable point for smuggling activities. The SP has assured citizens that their information would be acted upon swiftly and confidentially. 

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