NEW DELHI: Noting that the dark web, cryptocurrency, and drones are the emerging challenges in India’s fight against drug trafficking, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday called upon state governments to coordinate with their respective High Courts to ensure that more special NDPS courts are established for faster trials in narco-terror cases.
Chairing the regional conference on ‘Drug Trafficking and National Security’ here at Vigyan Bhawan, the Home Minister asserted that there was an urgent need for “an uncompromising fight” against narcotics to safeguard the future generations of India and exhorted the officials engaged in anti-drug mission saying that their contribution to society will resonate for century.
Shah also highlighted the importance of a "whole-of-government" approach and coordination between the Centre and States in combating the growing threat of drug addiction and trafficking and asserted that India would not allow even a single kilo of drugs to be smuggled in or out of the country.
Lauding the role of central state agencies in successfully eliminating many networks of drugs by busting such syndicates in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, the Home Minister said that terrorism linked with them too has to be destroyed completely.
“The use of dark-web, cryptocurrency, online marketplace and drones continue to be a challenge for us even today. The Centre and its agencies are working out means to counter such threats. But technological solution to these problems must be found through joint efforts by the States, the central government and technocrats for the country’s security and development,” Shah said.
Noting that in India today only 7 per cent of population is drug addicts, Shah cautioned that if “we do not act now, in ten years, it will be too late,” and that the menace 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.
“In the last 10 years, there has been a seven-fold increase in the seizure of drugs which is a major achievement. The government under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi has given a strong message of destroying the entire ecosystem of drugs,” he said.
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 destroyed to ensure that they do not come back to the market. He also highlighted 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 in view of increased seizures, 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.”
Shah urged states to utilize 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.
The Home Minister also pointed out significant 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.
