NEW DELHI:It seems that demonetization has hardly had any impact on the business of drug peddlers who make deals in cash and through Hawala transactions, as the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized 3.60 lakh kilograms of drugs in 2017. According to the NCB data for 2017, there has been a jump of 300 per cent in seizure of drugs like cocaine, heroin and cannabis in the country in the last five years.
Interestingly, the national capital witnessed the highest seizure of the most expensive drug, cocaine, at 30 kg, followed by Maharashtra at 21.83 kg.
According to the report, in 2017, a whopping 2,551 kg of opium, 2,146 kg of heroin, 3,52,379 kg of cannabis, 3,218 kg hashish and 69 kg of high-profile party drug cocaine was seized by various anti-narcotics agencies in the country.While last year’s narcotic seizures were put at over 3.60 lakh kg, it was 3.01 lakh kg in 2016, over 1 lakh kg in 2015, 1.1 lakh kg in 2014 and about 1 lakh kg in 2013, the report said.
The year gone by also saw the maximum number of cases of interdiction of these illegal drugs in the last five years, generally abused by the young and a few other categories. Barring hashish and cocaine, all other narcotic drugs saw the maximum seizures in the last five years in 2017.
According to the report, Punjab is still on top of the drugs game as the maximum seizure of opium was made from the state at 505.86 kg, followed by Rajasthan at 426.95 kg, while the maximum amount of heroin was seized in Gujarat, at 1,017 kg, followed by Punjab at 406 kg.
Cannabis seizure was the highest in Andhra Pradesh at 78,767 kg, followed by Odisha at 55,875 kg during 2017.Uttar Pradesh accounted for the maximum hashish (also known as charas) seizure, at 702 kg, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 625 kg.
Opium, according to the report, is trafficked from Manipur, Jharkhand, Bihar, Rajasthan, UP and Madhya Pradesh to other parts of the country, while major trafficking of heroin in India takes place through the India-Pakistan border in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, and subsequently to other states.
Capital shame
Interestingly, the national capital witnessed the highest seizure of the most expensive drug, cocaine, at 30 kg, followed by Maharashtra at 21.83 kg.