Ahmedabad Rural Police crack down on drugs, 16 medical stores booked

As part of a statewide campaign to combat the rising menace of drugs and safeguard young people from substance abuse, the Ahmedabad Rural Police on Wednesday launched a comprehensive and coordinated crackdown across the district. The special enforcement drive targeted narcotic trafficking, the unauthorised sale of Schedule H medicines, and the illegal sale of tobacco products to minors by pan parlours.

A total of 24 enforcement teams, comprising Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs), Station House Officers (SHOs), the Special Operations Group (SOG), and the Local Crime Branch (LCB), were mobilised across all four divisions of Ahmedabad Rural. The SOG’s Police Inspector centrally coordinated the drive.

NDPS Act violations across divisions

A key outcome of the operation was the registration of six cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act:

Viramgam division: 1 case

Dholka division: 3 cases, in which two cases are in Bavla(one registered by the local police and another by the SOG) and one case in Dholka town

Sanand division: 2 cases

Medical stores inspected for Schedule H drug violations

A total of 144 medical stores were inspected during the drive to detect violations related to the sale of prescription-only Schedule H drugs:

Sanand division led with 73 inspections

Viramgam: 36 stores

Dholka: 19 stores

Dhandhuka: 16 stores

Of these, 16 stores were found to be in violation:

Viramgam: 2 cases

Dholka: 4 stores served with notices

Sanand: 10 cases (2 stores sealed; 8 served with notices)

Action under the Juvenile Justice Act

In a separate effort to prevent substance exposure among minors, the police booked three cases under the Juvenile Justice Act, all from the Sanand division, for selling tobacco products to children.

COPTA enforcement sees 369 cases registered

Under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COPTA), a total of 369 cases were registered for illegal sale and marketing of tobacco, particularly targeting vendors selling to minors:

Sanand division: 185 cases

Dholka division: 87 cases

Viramgam division: 57 cases

Dhandhuka division: 40 cases

The crackdown also resulted in the collection of ₹54,400 in fines for COPTA violations. Sanand division collected ₹37,000, while Dholka division collected ₹17,400

Officials stated that the crackdown is part of a broader strategy to ensure public health and safety, with a particular focus on youth welfare.

"Focused enforcement such as this sends a clear message that drug peddling, unauthorised pharmaceutical sales, and the illegal sale of tobacco to children will not be tolerated. The aim is to disrupt the supply chain across multiple levels," said Om Prakash Jat, District Superintendent of Ahmedabad Rural.

Further legal proceedings and follow-up investigations are currently underway. The Ahmedabad Rural Police have indicated that similar drives will be conducted regularly as part of sustained preventive policing efforts.