Three arrested in Mangaluru with MDMA worth Rs 1 Lakh
Mangaluru (PTI): The Mangaluru City Crime Branch has arrested three men for allegedly attempting to sell MDMA, a banned narcotic, in Surathkal area here, police said on Friday.
Acting on a tip-off, the police intercepted a car near Mukka-Malemar beach road and seized 10 grams of MDMA valued at Rs 1 lakh from the three men on Wednesday, a statement issued by the Mangaluru Police Commissioner said.
Police also recovered Rs 4,000 in cash, four mobile phones, and a car from the suspects, the statement said.
The accused—Mohammed Asif (24), Asgar Ali (31), and Mohammed Rasheem (24)—had allegedly procured the drugs from Bengaluru and were targeting students and the public in Mangaluru, it stated.
One of the accused, Mohammed Asif, has two prior cases against him, including for drug peddling and assault, it added.
A case has been registered at Surathkal Police Station and further investigation is underway to identify others involved in the drug distribution network, the statement added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
