CHILDREN FORM VITAL PART OF DRUG PEDDLERS' NETWORK

VARANASI: Do not be surprised if you come across young children
selling hash (ganja) and cannabis (bhang) to visitors including
foreign tourists who throng prominent ghats on the banks of the holy
Ganga in the city.

Children form a strong network of drug peddlers in the region. Even
drives and raids by the Narcotics Control Bureau and city police have
failed to work as deterrent for them, as the practice continues
unabated especially along the ghats. According to narcotics control
office, 15.57 kg heroin was recovered in 2007, while last year,
authorities had seized over 20 kg of the illegal stuff.

Similarly, recovery of ganja increased from nearly 275 kg (2007) to
around 350 kg in 2009.

The recovery of other intoxicants like charas, cocaine, smack, medax
and diazepam pills and powder show that they are also in use in the
region. Neighbouring districts like Chandauli and Bhadohi have
emerged as prominent centres of illicit drugs trafficking. SP (city)
Vijay Bhushan said that police had recently conducted a number of
drives in which large amounts of hard drugs were recovered. "We are
keeping a close vigil on the situation to control the drug abuse and
illicit trafficking," he added.

According to police, ganja is supplied to the region from the north
east areas and Nepal via Bihar and Jharkhand borders. Heroin is being
manufactured in neighbouring districts and supplied to the cities
like Varanasi. A senior police officer confided that actual inflow of
drugs could be 10 to 20 times higher than the quantities seized in the region.

As per recent reports of the district excise department, the
consumption of ganja and bhang is about 40,000 kg in the district and
these substances generate are in huge demand among the tourists and
students in the region.