Two-day national seminar on “Narcotics, Narco terrorism and New Psychoactive substances”

Kozikode:There is an urgent need to ensure coordination between various enforcement agencies to tackle drug-related crimes in the country, G. Sreekumar Menon, Director General, National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics (NACEN), has said.

He was delivering the presidential address at a two-day national seminar on “Narcotics, Narco terrorism and New Psychoactive substances” jointly organised by the NACEN and the University of Calicut at the National Institute of Technology, Calicut (NIT-C), at Kunnamangalam here on Thursday.

Cocaine seizure

Mr. Menon added that this concerted effort was significant in the light of recent seizures of cocaine from Kochi.

He said drug addiction among the youth had become a major threat.

Today there was more awareness of illicit drugs and drug trafficking, but the immediate challenge was to translate this into constructive action.

G.R.C. Reddy, Director, NIT-C, who inaugurated the seminar, stressed the need for creating more awareness among all sections of society, especially the youth, to fight drug abuse.

Ponnusamy, Additional Director General, NACEN, Chennai; P. Anjani Kumar, Additional Director General, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI); and T.P. Asharafali, member Youth Commission Kerala, spoke at the seminar.

The seminar was attended by students from NIT-C and Calicut University as well as officers from enforcement agencies such as the Customs and Central Excise, Indian Army, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Indian Coast Guard, CBI, CISF, Kerala Police, Indian Naval Academy, and Kerala State Excise Department.

Experts from the field of narcotics spoke on national and international drug control framework, narco terrorism, money laundering and new psychoactive substances and substance abuse.

The day’s sessions concluded with a Mohiniyattom performance by Kalamandalam Vidyarani.