Advocate stresses on seizure lists
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 05 2014 : Advocate Tejkumar has appealed to all police officers to file seizure lists in front of local clubs, meira paibis and civil society organisations as and when drug smugglers/peddlers are arrested with drugs.

This, he added, would help in prompt submission of charge sheets and punishment of the drug smugglers/peddlers according to law.

Advocate Tejkumar was speaking as a resource person in the technical session of a four-day training programme at Khuman Lampak Youth Hostel.

The training programme which was kick-started today was being organised by AMADA.

On many occasions, drug peddlers/smugglers were held by volunteers of local clubs, civil society organisations and meira paibis together with contraband drugs.

The drug smugglers/peddlers and the seized drugs were generally handed over to police.

But many of these cases were put into oblivion once the drug smugglers and the drugs were handed over to police, Tejkumar said.

As such, volunteers of local clubs, civil society organisations and meira paibis should insist upon police officers to make seizure lists in front of them as and when drug smugglers/peddlers are held at the time of handing them over to police.

The volunteers should act as witnesses to the arrest of smugglers and seizure of drugs.

A copy of the seizure list and details of the arrested smugglers should be kept at the local club, civil society organisation or the meira paibi group.

When local club volunteers or members of civil society organisations volunteer to act as witnesses to the seizure and arrest, police would be able to file charge sheets promptly and this would eventually lead to punishment of the drug smugglers/peddlers according to law.

If any one is dealing in drugs in any locality, local clubs, meira paibis and civil society organisations should give timely warning to the wrongdoer.

Then the local people should make collective efforts and persuade the drug peddler to switch to another profession or vocation after a gap of sometime.

Impromptu prohibition, dismantling of house and parading and humiliating the drug peddler would not bring any positive result, said advocate Tejkumar.

Rather, the drug peddler should be brought within the mainstream and he/she should be explained the disastrous impacts of smuggling/peddling drugs on the society.

Noting that crimes related to abuse of intoxicants are very high in Manipur, Tejkumar said that 50 per cent of all the cases he handled were related to abuse of drugs.

Women and children are the worst sufferers of social crimes which have their roots in abuse of drugs, he added.

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