NEW DELHI: Amid the government’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy against narcotics, the official data released by the Ministry of Home Affairs has revealed there has been a 25 percent decline in drug smuggling related arrests between 2022 and 2024, but the number of convictions have gone up.
As per the data, the overall arrests made in 2022 were 768, but the trend in the successive years showed a decline of 25.2 percent. In 2023, the number of arrests was 574 and in 2024 it was 588. In the current year, till January, 43 arrests have been made so far, it said.
Even though the number of arrests has shown a declining trend, the conviction rate in drug-related cases has gone up. In 2022, 54 accused were convicted, which almost doubled to 104 in 2023 and increased to 110 in 2024.
With Home Minister Amit Shah giving a target of ‘zero tolerance’ against drug menace, the government agencies have been stepping up its e fforts with the goal of declaring the nation drug-free by 2047.
Officials said the steps taken include setting up a four-tier Narco-Coordination Centre, sending anti-narcotics task forces to all states, and strengthening international collaboration in order to check drug trafficking. Additionally, even border guarding forces have been empowered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, they added.