Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 13 October 2024
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the premier agency responsible for safeguarding key strategic establishments across the country—including airports, ports, heritage sites, and critical departments such as the Department of Space and the Department of Atomic Energy—should step up its counter-narcotics efforts in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. There is a growing concern among residents over the rise in drug trafficking. CISF should deploy sniffer dogs capable of detecting narcotics at Sri Vijaya Puram’s Veer Savarkar International Airport and major jetties.
Currently, different CISF Units oversees the security of both Veer Savarkar International Airport and the main jetties in Sri Vijaya Puram, making it a key player in controlling the entry points to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. However, recent incidents have highlighted the increasing challenge of drug smuggling through these vital access points. Despite intensified efforts by the Andaman and Nicobar Police, which has resulted in several successful drug seizures, especially from air travellers arriving from mainland destinations such as Kolkata, concerns about the region becoming a hub for illicit narcotics are growing.
The Andaman and Nicobar Police have been proactive in deploying their own sniffer dogs at the airport to intercept drug traffickers, resulting in the seizure of significant quantities of narcotics in recent years. Nevertheless, additional support is needed to address the rising threat.CISF should reinforce its capabilities by introducing specially trained dogs to detect a wider range of drugs, enhancing surveillance at both the airport and the jetties.
Deploying CISF sniffer dogs at these strategic locations could serve as a critical deterrent, significantly strengthening the drug interception capacity in the region. Given the unique geographical layout of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands—with its dispersed population and numerous remote islands—ensuring effective drug control measures at primary entry points is vital to preventing further distribution of narcotics across the archipelago.
The recent influx of drugs through air routes has posed a serious threat to the safety and security of the islanders, raising the need for more robust and proactive measures. As a key agency responsible for the security of both air and sea entry points, the CISF is ideally positioned to augment its current efforts. Introducing sniffer dogs capable of detecting a range of narcotics at Veer Savarkar International Airport and the jetties would not only support the existing law enforcement measures but also serve as a force multiplier.
Given the severe impact that drug trafficking can have on the local community, particularly in a remote and fragile ecosystem like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the deployment of sniffer dogs by the CISF is no longer just a recommendation—it is an urgent necessity. Immediate steps should be taken to equip CISF units at Sri Vijaya Puram with specialised sniffer dogs to bolster the fight against drug smuggling and ensure a safer environment for the islanders.
Such a move would not only help curb the entry of narcotics into the islands but also set a strong precedent for joint operations between the CISF and local law enforcement, enhancing the overall security framework of the region. As drug trafficking evolves with new techniques and routes, strengthening the drug-detection capabilities of agencies like the CISF will be crucial to safeguarding the future of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.