Devendra Fadnavis raises concern over Instagram emerging as marketplace for drugs

Nagpur: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday expressed concern over the alarming rise in drug-related activities on Instagram, saying the platform has transformed into a marketplace for the illicit substances.

Drugs were also being sold through the dark net, Fadnavis said in the state legislative council here during the ongoing winter session.

"Instagram has emerged as the drug marketplace where orders are being placed, payments are made through GPay and UPI and deliveries are being done," he said.

Decisive measures are being taken in this connection, Fadnavis said while responding to questions from legislators Mahadev Jankar, Sachin Ahir, Anil Parab and others.

He also said courier companies have been appealed to scrutinise parcels, and surprise checks equipped with modern technology were being conducted at courier offices to curb the drug trade.

Ahir raised the issue of a case pertaining to drug racketeer Lalit Patil and removal of Sanjiv Thakur from the post of dean of Sassoon Hospital.

Fadnavis assured that proper action would be taken following a thorough inquiry.

Patil emerged as the kingpin of a drug racket that was recently busted by the Sakinaka police in Mumbai in a two-month-long operation, which included the seizure of mephedrone worth about Rs 300 crore and a raid at a drug manufacturing unit in Nashik.

The case took a new turn after Patil, who was in Pune’s Yerawada prison over his role in another drug case but was admitted to the Sassoon Hospital in that city, escaped on October 2 while being taken for X-ray imaging. He was arrested in Karnataka two weeks later.

Fadnavis also said the government has initiated action against 172 Nigerians involved in drug-related offenses. A detention centre has been established for Nigerian nationals engaged in such offences, he said.

The deputy CM further said 2,369 suspicious 'paan' shops located in the vicinity of schools and colleges in Mumbai have been removed.

The government has also seized 38,000 e-cigarettes and crackdown on hookah parlours is underway, he said.

Leader of opposition in the council Ambadas Danve raised the issue of illegal drug units operating in industries and factories which were shut.

Fadnavis acknowledged Danve's information and said such closed industries were under a thorough scrutiny.

Manufacturing of MD drug involves the use of various chemicals, the deputy CM added.