U.S. TO TRAIN ANTI-NARCOTICS CELLS

MUMBAI: The anti-narcotics cells of the Mumbai police and Central
agencies may not have sufficient manpower or large doses of funds to
take on drug mafia.

But that is being compensated with new training and investigative
skills.

Five officers of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are in
Mumbai to conduct a fortnight-long training programme for police,
customs, Narcotics Control Bureau personnel.

Thirty-six officers are participating in the programme which began on
Monday. A similar programme was recently held in Delhi and are also
planned in Kolkata and Chennai.

A senior officer of theDEA stated "We will discuss issues like
investigation techniques, drug identification, intelligence gathering
through informants and other sources and also share our experience in
combating the drug mafia in the US. The programme will also help us to
understand the drug problem in India."

He added that last December, DEA members had flown to India to figure
out operational and training needs of Indian agencies.

An officer from the Mumbai police who participated in the programme
told TOI "The programme will be beneficial for us. We can also share
information on international drug traffickers with US officials."

According to the police officer, the US government has taken such
initiatives to check the inflow of drugs into their country.

"Drugs produced in Afghanistan are being routed via Pakistan or Nepal
into India and the smuggled into Europe, US and other parts of the
world," he added.