New Delhi: Delhi Metro stations will soon have X-rayscanners to prevent the railway network from being used for drug peddling, thecity having virtually become a transit point for narcotics trafficking. 

The scanners will be installed by the Central IndustrialSecurity Force (CISF), which is likely to take charge of metro rail security inthe coming days.

"Though we have not come across any case of drugtrafficking (in the metro) till now, we suspect the network might be used forthis purpose. We also installed similar scanners at the Delhi international airport a few monthsago," a senior CISF official handling security of the metro told sources.

The newly developed commuter network in the capital is usedby nearly half a million people every day.

"It is certainly a good move on the part of the CISF.It has been in the offing for the past year. It is a positive sign that it willbe effective as soon as the CISF takes over the metro rail security," saidR.K. Jha, additional deputy commissioner of police (railways).

"The gadgets would be useful as traffickers wrap upcocaine and other drugs and swallow these so that they can pass throughsecurity checks without being detected," said the CISF official, who didnot want to be named.

"By using the X-ray scanners, we will be able to crackdown on this method of smuggling narcotics as well," he added.

"We have also identified some of the most vulnerablemetro stations where these scanners would be installed on priority," saidthe official.

These include the metro stations at Rajiv Chowk (

Connaught Place

),Central Secretariat (near India Gate), Kashmere Gate, Chandni Chowk and theInter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT).

"These places have a history of drug trafficking so weare being extra cautious. We want the security of the metro to match thestandards at the Delhiairport," the official said.

Delhiseems to have become a transit point for drug traffickers, with over 170 foreignnationals, including 41 Nigerians and 42 Myanmarese, nabbed for the crime in2005.

In the past one year, officials of the Narcotics ControlBureau (NCB) seized 230 kg of heroin and 203 kg of cocaine while Delhi Policerecovered 20,000 drug tablets, including ecstasy. In comparison, in the pastfour years, only 12 kg of cocaine was seized in India, the official said.

Last year, sleuths of Delhi Police had also seized 4,400 kgof Mandrax, a lifestyle drug, estimated to be worth Rs.2 billion in the internationalmarket. This seizure was made just eight days after 100 kg of the bannednarcotic ephedrine and three kilograms of hashish were recovered from thecapital.