Now Reading: Women now lead Delhi’s drug trade, amass crores in assets
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Women now lead Delhi’s drug trade, amass crores in assets
Women have moved from the margins to the centre of Delhi's drug trade, according to police. Traffickers like Taslima Putti, Kusum, and the sister trio of Paro, Usha, and Kanta have amassed…
The Story in Brief
Women have moved from the margins to the centre of Delhi's drug trade, according to police. Traffickers like Taslima Putti, Kusum, and the sister trio of Paro, Usha, and Kanta have amassed assets worth crores, including flats, gold, and luxury vehicles, built on profits from ganja, heroin, and smack. The Times of India reports that a packet of ganja yields a profit margin of Rs 200-300, compared to Rs 5 per bottle of bootleg liquor, making drugs far more lucrative and easier to conceal.
Police say legal safeguards meant to protect women are being exploited. A female suspect can only be searched by female personnel, and after sunset, a magistrate's permission is needed to arrest a woman, requiring a woman officer. Syndicates also use juvenile lookouts, CCTV cameras, and lawyers on speed dial to evade raids. The police are now planning to deploy more women officers in anti-narcotics teams.
The Indian Opinion
The police narrative of women as victims or minor couriers is being upended by these cases. Yes, many entered the trade after male relatives were arrested, but the scale of their operations, crores in real estate, luxury vehicles, and family-run syndicates, shows they are not mere pawns. The claim that legal safeguards for women are being systematically exploited deserves scrutiny. Will the Delhi Police's plan to induct more women officers into anti-narcotics teams actually close these loopholes, or will the trade simply adapt again?
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 1 sources.
