In a significant legislative move to crack down on the narcotics trade, the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Monday unanimously passed a bill amending the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) to include drug peddling and narcotics-related offences under its ambit.
The state assembly had already cleared the amendment on July 9, and it will become law once it receives the Governor’s assent.
The amended bill will redefine “organised crime” to include the production, possession, sale, and transportation of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, aiming to make bail tougher for drug offenders and giving law enforcement wider powers to act against the growing menace.
“Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced on July 2 that drug peddlers would soon be booked under MCOCA. We have fulfilled that promise,” said Yogesh Kadam, Minister of State for Home (Urban), in the Council.
Currently, drug crimes are prosecuted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. With this amendment, the government seeks to treat large-scale drug trafficking as a form of organised crime.
The state government’s move comes amid increasing concern over the rise in narcotics trafficking across Maharashtra, including in urban and semi-urban areas.
