Darjeeling MP highlights on increasing drug abuse, narco-terror angle in parliament

DARJEELING: Loksabha MP Raju Bista from Darjeeling constituency on Tuesday highlighted the issue of increasing instances of drugs, arms, gold, contraband and human trafficking through the ‘chicken neck”, a 22 km stretch of land that locales around the city of Siliguri in West Bengal.

The Chicken neck connects Northeast India with the rest of the country.

In the ongoing monsoon session of the parliament on Tuesday, the MP highlighted that since the past few years this region was increasingly being used for drugs, arms, gold, contraband and human trafficking.

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He said that drugs and contrabands were being brought into India from the notorious Golden Triangle following this route. Due to easy availability of drugs, more and more youths are becoming addict and thousands of families have been destroyed. Along with drug trafficking, human trafficking is also increasingly being conducted through this route.

“I fear that proceeds from drug trafficking are being used to funnel funds for terror activities in our nation, and there is a definite narco-terror angle associated with the proliferation of drugs and other forms of trafficking through our region,” he said.

Criticizing the Mamata Banerjee government, the MP claimed that despite increasing drug menace, the West Bengal government has turned a blind eye to this critical problem and has refused to take any action against trafficking king-pins.

“Recently people from my region have shared their concerns that people related to politicians and those in power are involved in trafficking drugs in the region. Furthermore, locals fear that police may not be able to conduct a fair investigation into drug trafficking in the region due to political pressure.”

The MP has urged the Union Home Ministry to kindly conduct thorough and impartial investigations into the network of drug trafficking in Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars region by the Narcotics Control Bureau.

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