In a 1st, STF gets preventive jail detention of drug trafficker

Bhubaneswar: In a first for Odisha, the special task force (STF) of the state crime branch has secured the preventive jail detention of a habitual drug trafficker for one year, the state police said on Friday.The detainee, Jharana Panda, 45, of Puri, was taken into custody following an order issued by the state home department under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act, 1988.The order was later upheld by the state advisory board, comprising a sitting and two retired judges of the Orissa high court, after examining case records and related materials. Police said the move is part of a broader crackdown on organised drug trafficking in the state.Odisha police recently recommended preventive detention against 16 drug peddlers. “The govt approved orders against two persons, including Panda. They were immediately detained in separate jails. While Panda’s detention was confirmed, the advisory board rejected the case against the other accused, leading to his release,” an STF official said.Panda, described as a habitual offender in ganja peddling, has a criminal record dating back to 2014. She has been implicated in at least five narcotics trafficking cases across Puri’s Baselisahi, Baliapanda and Kumbharapada areas between 2014 and 2024. Despite multiple arrests in the past, she continued her involvement in drug networks, prompting authorities to invoke preventive detention.The PIT-NDPS Act, though available for decades, was rarely used in Odisha to curb repeat offenders. In March, DGP Y B Khurania directed the STF and district SPs to invoke PIT-NDPS against notorious ganja and brown sugar peddlers. He also announced a three-year special drive, beginning April 1, aimed at making Odisha drug-free by targeting ganja, brown sugar and other narcotics.“We emphasise zero-tolerance policy towards drug trafficking and reiterate the commitment to continue such stringent enforcement actions in the future. The action reflects the govt’s continued commitment towards stringent enforcement against drug trafficking networks and ensuring a safe and drug-free society,” Khurania said.