Mysore/Mysuru: The Railway Department has heightened vigilance to curb drug trafficking through its network, with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) carrying out intensified checks on trains every day.

Trains are frequently used by traffickers to transport narcotics, drugs and psychotropic substances across the country. Following the massive synthetic drug haul in Mysuru, valued at hundreds of crores of rupees, inspections have been stepped up, with trains arriving and  departing from Mysuru under close watch.

“Routine checks are a regular part of our operations, but whenever we receive intelligence from State or Central agencies, we scale up inspections,” said South Western Railway Mysuru Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Mudit Mittal, speaking to Star of Mysore. “After last Saturday’s drug racket bust, RPF sleuths have been checking every train thoroughly,” he added.

A dedicated narcotics wing, ‘NARCOS’, was set up under RPF Mysuru in 2019 to arrest, search and seize narcotic substances under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The wing currently comprises 10 officers and two dog squads.

“We have a vast network of sources and informers who alert us to narcotics movements in transit. We are actively tapping into this network to track and dismantle trafficking operations,” Mittal added.

Vulnerable routes are identified through regular analysis, and preventive measures are implemented in coordination with all stakeholders to counter drug trafficking, he said.