Jammu, May 7: The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), issued by J&K government to tighten noose against drug traffickers, provides for immediate impounding of the passport following arrest of the accused.
Explaining the step-by-step procedure beginning with the “identification, documentation and preparation of dossier”, the SOP mentions, if a passport is in the physical possession of the accused at the time of arrest, the Investigating Officer (IO) will seize it and take requisite steps immediately for its impounding under Section 13 of the Passports Act, 1967.
He will record the same in the arrest memo and case diary.
The passport will be deposited with the concerned Regional Passport Officer within 48 hours of seizure.
ISSUANCE OF LOOK OUT CIRCULAR (LOC)
The IO and SP or SSP will simultaneously and without any delay, forward a Look Out Circular (LOC) request to the Bureau of Immigration (BoI), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India through the designated Nodal Officer, citing the involvement of the accused in NDPS cases.
The LOC will seek to prevent the accused from exiting India through any airport, seaport or land immigration check post. The LOC request will be transmitted through the official Police communication channel (fax or e-mail or official portal) with a follow-up by registered post. A copy of the LOC request will be endorsed to the CISF Incharge at the Srinagar and Jammu Airports and DGP, J&K.
PASSPORT IMPOUNDMENT OR SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION
The IO, after obtaining approval of the SP or SSP, will address a formal written application to the concerned Regional Passport Officer (RPO) Srinagar or Jammu, as the case may be, for impoundment or revocation of the passport, citing one or more of the specific grounds.
In cases of flight risk or where the accused is a known trans-national trafficker, necessary steps by IO requesting competent or designated authority for invoking Section 10A of the Passports Act, 1967 for emergency suspension of the passport pending formal revocation proceedings will be taken.
The application to the RPO will be accompanied by: certified copy of FIR and Detention Order, Court Remand Order, a recent photograph of the accused and the seized passport (if available).
Simultaneously, the SP and SSP will forward a request to the Ministry of External Affairs, Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV) Division, New Delhi, for flagging or blacklisting of the passport number in the Immigration, Visa and Foreigners’ Registration and Tracking (IVFRT) System to prevent exit from India.
