Catch international drug syndicates instead of small-time peddlers: SC to probe agencies

New Delhi [India], February 10 : The Supreme Court on Friday remarked that the probe agencies should catch members of international drug syndicates instead of going after small-time peddlers.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud questioned the law enforcement agencies that what are they doing about real offenders who are running international syndicates of drugs.
"Try and catch them and then save the people," the court said and remarked that probe agencies are catching small-time peddlers, farmers, etc but the not real culprit.
The court made the remarks while hearing a bail plea filed by an accused booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after opium of commercial quantity was allegedly recovered from him.
The court observed that the accused person had already undergone five years in jail and the maximum term he could be sentenced to was ten years. The court observed that the accused person was entitled to bail as it also noted that the opium was found on the agricultural land of the accused.
The appellant has been convicted of an offence punishable under Sections 8/18 of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 and sentenced to suffer rigorous imprisonment of ten years together with a fine of Rs one lakh.
The custody certificate indicates that by November 9, 2022, the appellant had undergone five years and two months of custody as an under-trial prisoner and as a convict. The appellant is sixty-two years of age, the court noted.
"Since the appeal is likely to take some time for final hearing and the appellant has undergone over half the term of imprisonment, the appellant shall be released on bail subject to such terms and conditions as may be imposed by the Sessions Court," the court said.