ANTF likely to be empowered with police station powers
The Karnataka government is considering granting the Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) the authority to register cases and conduct independent criminal investigations. Currently, the force is limited to coordinating probes and lacks an independent chief, which officials believe hinders the ability to dismantle drug supply chains.
Why it matters
Empowering specialized task forces is a critical step in addressing systemic failures in drug enforcement and moving beyond low-level arrests to target major suppliers.
The Karnataka government is mulling over empowering the recently formed Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) with the powers of police station.
This will enable the ANTF to book cases, make arrests and carry out criminal investigations in drug cases. Presently, it doesn’t have an independent head and is only restricted to review and coordinate drug case probes.
Formed as per a recent mandate of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), all States and Union Territories have now formed the ANTFs. While many States have empowered them to register cases and investigate, Karnataka is yet to grant such powers to the ANTF.
The EAGLE force of Telangana Police, ANTF, Delhi Police, Kerala Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force spearheading Operation Toofan against narcotics in the State, have made significant progress in fighting the menace.
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