Increased inspections on trains to combat drug trafficking

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) will increase inspections on long-distance trains to combat drug trafficking. This follows a new action plan by the State government to enhance coordination among local checking squads in five southern states. Authorities will focus on monitoring parcel movements and conducting surprise checks at collection centers. More plainclothes officers will be deployed at railway stations to observe suspicious passengers and migrant workers. Past incidents of drug smuggling through railway parcels have prompted these measures. The RPF is also considering a nationwide checking drive similar to a successful operation from 2022 that resulted in significant drug seizures and arrests.