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STAFF CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Evidences of many juveniles getting actively involved in the illegal trade of drugs in the city has come to surface. This revelation was made by Samanda Khongwar, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ‘Manbha Foundation’, an organization involved in intervention of substance abuse. During an interaction with The Sentinel, Khongwar said during the period between 2018 and 2019, around 10 cases of juveniles involved in the illegal drug business have come to surface.
“They were initially used by peddlers to deliver the contrabands. However, gradually over a period of time, they fell into the trap of being users,” Khongwar said, adding that the registered cases indicated that they are either from broken families or are offsprings of a single parent. Referring to the growing instances of drug menace in Shillong city in the recent times, she pointed out that that a government agency should step in at the earliest to prevent the situation from getting worse.
“In our State we have private rehabilitation centres that however come at a cost. Those victims from the poor families will not get the benefit of counseling after completing their detention,” she stated.
The Circle Inspector of Sadar Police Station, Geffery Suting also agreed that the menace of drug abuse is increasing in the city. He said that the area under his jurisdiction is known for being a transit point. He added that areas like Bara Bazar, Police Bazar, Polo are particularly vulnerable. “These transit points have been monitored and actions through arrest and detentions have been taken,” he asserted.
While commenting on the need for close coordination among the church organizations and the traditional bodies to combat this menace, the Police officer also cautioned that they should carry on the act of checking drug menace in close coordination with the law-enforcing agencies.