IMPHAL, January 22: Reacting to certain news reports regarding the disbanding of the Special Intelligence Union (SIU) of the Imphal West, the district SP has said in a press release that SIU was a part of the Narcotic Cell lmphal West, and after the transfer of Inspector K Ranjit Singh from Narcotic Cell Imphal West to CAR/lmphal West, the same function that was performed by the SIU, lmphal West is still being continued by the Narcotic Cell, Imphal West.
The statement said regarding the case of January 11, the SIU team under the command of Inspector K Ranjit Singh who was then transferred as Inspector CAR, lmphal West acted independently without even informing the SP who was very much available at his office at the relevant time. “The independent and indifferent attitude of Inspector K Ranjit Singh led the owners of the seized drugs to make their good their good. Had the SIU team informed the SP or the concerned Police Station i.e. Singjamei PS, the owners of the seized drugs could have been arrested on that day itself,” the press clarification said.
“However, because of the hectic efforts put by OC, Narcotic Cell, Imphal West and Singjamei PS personnel, one of the involved accused persons namely, Md Rajauddin (29) son of Md Hiyazuddin of Lilong Sambrukhong, Thoubal District could be arrested on January 18 after the winding up of the SIU led by Inspector K Ranjit Singh”, said the SP’s release.
The release said that seven Nos of Cartoon boxes containing 32,250 strips of ROBOCOFF Tablets, 2,680 strips of RESPIFED Tablets, 5470 strips of SEAFIED Tablets – Total 4,04,OOO/- Tablets were seized by the personnel of SIU. It has further clarified that the SIU team was primarily formed with personnel drawn from different units of Imphal West as an internal administrative arrangement of Imphal West District police to facilitate the district police in carrying out drives against the offenders of vehicle lifters/theft, rackets involving preparation of fake documents and certificates, counterfeit currency and against those persons involved in contraband drug related cases and other contraband forest products besides the tasks normally entrusted to Narcotic Cell/ Imphal West which is also not a sanctioned unit.
“The Narcotic Cell and SIU function directly under the supervision of the Superintendent of Police, Imphal West. Normally whenever any intelligence input pertaining to any of the crime mentioned above is received by the Narcotic Cell and SIU, the information is immediately passed on to the SP who in turn directs the concerned police station personnel to associate with the Narcotic Cell and SIU team and investigate the case jointly”, the statement said.
It has also said that the detection of smuggling of drugs transported through Air Cargo is a difficult one as the identities of both the senders and receivers are all fictitious one.
“Yet it is clarified that despite all the odds and difficulties, the District Police have been able to detect and identify the owners of the drug which were transported through Air Cargo in a good number of cases which have been investigated and are being charge sheeted. The problem regarding using of fictitious name by the drug smugglers while transporting the same through Air Cargo has been taken seriously by the Police Department and DGP himself has already taken up the case with the appropriate authority i.e. Narcotic Control Bureau, New Delhi and Bureau of Civil Aviation, New Delhi”, it further said.