Online food delivery platforms used by drug peddlers: Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner

In a shocking revelation, the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner on Wednesday expressed concerns over increasing drug smuggling and abuse while revealing that online platforms are being used to peddle drugs.
 

Speaking at the first state-level meeting organised by the Bharat Nisha Mukta Abhiyan Committee here in Bhubaneswar, Police Commissioner Soumendra Priyadarshi said that some online food delivery platforms like Swiggy are being used for drug delivery. Swiggy has no right to see what is inside the packets he said, adding that drugs were earlier available in towns, but now drugs are available even in fringe remote areas. 

He added that students of engineering colleges earlier used to take drugs, but now drug abuse has spread to other colleges too. As enforcement is becoming more stringent, the number of drug seizures is also rising in the state, the Police Commissioner observed, underscoring the urgency for awareness drives for students at the school and college levels.

Speaking to reporters, he said, “It is the dynamics linked to the supply and demand. If the demand is high, new ways are explored for supply. In some cases, we saw drugs being handed out to customers online.  Suppose I want to send something to you. I can use Swiggy to send the stuff. Here Swiggy has no right to see what is inside the packet. This is a new means of supply and we have information about it.”