New Delhi: Home Minister of India Amit Shah on Saturday said that there is an urgent need for an uncompromising fight against narcotics to safeguard the future generations of India.
Addressing a regional conference on “Drug Trafficking and National Security” organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Shah, stressed upon the critical importance of a “whole-of-government” approach and coordination between the GoI and states to combat the growing threat of drug addiction and trafficking.
“Seven percent of India’s population are drug addicts. If we don’t act now, in ten years, it will be too late,” Shah cautioned.
He warned that drug addiction has the potential to destroy entire generations, as seen in several countries across the world. “No country can remain secure if its youth are entangled in drug addiction,” he added.
Reiterating the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards drugs, Shah announced that during a drug disposal fortnight starting from January 11 to 25, over 44,792 kilograms of seized narcotics worth Rs 2,411 crore in the international market will be incinerated.
Highlighting the strides made over the past decade, he said that 24 lakh kilograms of drugs, valued at over Rs 56,000 crore, have been seized since 2014.
Shah said, “Critics are claiming that there has been an increase in drug consumption but the fact is that these figures reflect the success of enforcement agencies in cracking down on drug networks rather than an actual rise in use.”
He also emphasised the necessity of thorough investigations, financial probes into drug syndicates, and the complete dismantling of narco-militancy networks.
Shah urged states to utilise technology like geo-tagging, videography, and real-time data-sharing through platforms such as the National Narcotics Helpline ‘MANAS’ portal to enhance coordination and effectiveness in anti-drug operations. He also called for increased use of the NIDAAN database to track and tackle trafficking activities.
Shah pointed out gaps in enforcement infrastructure, such as the lack of special NDPS courts in several states, and urged states to make rules more flexible, train Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials, and ensure prosecution results in the punishment of accused individuals. (KNO)
