Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah chaired the Regional Conference on 'Drug Trafficking and National Security' organized in New Delhi today. In the presence of Union Home Minister, more than 1.40 Lakh kg of narcotics of worth Rs. 2,378 Crore were destroyed in different parts of the country by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in coordination with Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of all states, which is a record for single day.

Chief Ministers of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttarakhand, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, Lieutenant Governors of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Delhi attended the conference. The Minister of State for Home, Odisha also participated in the conference. The Union Home Secretary, Director General of NCB, and senior officials from various security agencies and related ministries and departments of Government of India also attended the conference.

In his address Shri Amit Shah said that in a country like India, drug trafficking and their usage not only ruins the future generations, but also affects national security. He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs, is continuously running a campaign against drugs through the meetings of Regional Conferences and these meetings are being held to review them and make timely changes in our policies based on the feedback.

Union Home Minister said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has set a target the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav that India and its youth should become drug-free by the time the centenary of the country's independence is celebrated. He said that it is the aim of Modi Government to create such an India where not even a single youth is addicted to drugs and to achieve this it is necessary for the states and the Centre both to work together. Shri Shah said that today is the birth anniversary of Paramveer Chakra awardee Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon. On this occasion he paid tribute to Paramveer Chakra awardee Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon on behalf of the entire country and the Government of India.

Shri Amit Shah said that construction of a new building for Amritsar Zonal Office of NCB at a cost of Rs. 12 crore, inauguration of Bhubaneshwar office and Bhoomi Pujan of a new office in Delhi have also been done today. He thanked the Government of Odisha and Government of Punjab for cooperating with NCB and Government of India by providing land for NCB offices. Shri Shah said that through these offices, NCB will further strengthen the fight against drugs in these two states. He added that a compendium on drug-free India has also been released today. If we disseminate more information related to drug awareness, to District Administration, schools and  NGOs, the fight against drugs will be strengthened even more. Shri Shah said that it is not just a fight to crack down on drugs or achieve complete victory, but the biggest victory in this fight is to create awareness. Shri Shah said that we cannot win this fight until we create awareness against drugs in the minds of the youth and parents of the country.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that today a total of more than 1,40,288 kg of drugs have been destroyed and all the states, especially the NCB, deserve accolades for this. He said that under this campaign drugs worth Rs 2,378 crore have been destroyed today, which is a record for highest quantity of drugs destroyed in a single day. Shri Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, 10 lakh kilograms of narcotics worth more than Rs 12,000 crore have been destroyed in the last one year of Amrit Mahotsav and this is also a record in itself.

Shri Amit Shah said that for the complete prevention of drug abuse, we have to move ahead with equal attention on Drug Detection, Destruction of the network, Detention of Culprits and Rehabilitation of addicts. He said that we have done a great job in the areas of Detection, Destruction and Detention, but our fight will not be successful unless we focus on Rehabilitation. Shri Shah said that with 'Whole of Government' approach, Health, Social Welfare Department, Chemical and Drug Department, Education Department, Panchayati Raj Department and State Home Departments will have to come together and work on a single platform, only then the dream of a drug-free India can be realized and we will be able to realise this. He said that for this, along with Cooperation, Coordination and Collaboration, all the departments will have to move forward with 'Whole of Government' approach.

Union Home Minister said that a total of 1,250 cases were registered between 2006 and 2013, while 3,700 cases have been registered in the nine years from 2014 to 2023, which shows an increase of 200 percent. A total of 1,360 arrests were made earlier period, which has now gone up to 5,650, which shows an increase of 300 per cent. The quantity of drug seized was earlier 1.52 lakh kg, which has now increased by 160 per cent to 3.94 lakh kg. He said that drugs worth Rs 5,900 crore were destroyed between 2006 and 2013, while drugs worth Rs 18,100 crore have been seized and destroyed between 2014 and 2023, this shows the success of our campaign.

Shri Amit Shah said that now, not only in India but also at the international level, we have replaced the term "Golden Triangle" and "Golden Crescent" with "Death Triangle" and "Death Crescent." He said that the name "Golden Triangle" may be applicable to the drug traffickers, but for those who are in favour of controlling the drug usage, the appropriate terms are "Death Triangle" and "Death Crescent." Shri Shah added that this approach is not just symbolic, it represents the intensity and direction of our fight against drugs. He said that there is a need for constant vigilance for elimination of drugs. He appealed to all to lay emphasis on continuity of NCORD meetings to be held in the State and Union Territories for better coordination.

Union Home Minister said that the government, under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has established the Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) in 2019, which holds meetings at four different levels. He said that district-level NCORD meetings have proven to be the most effective. He emphasized that states should collaborate with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on financial investigations and refer the cases to ED. Shri Shah said that until we conduct financial investigations of drug traffickers and break their interest chain, our campaign will not be successful. He asserted that our approach should be such that those who consume drugs should be considered as victims, while those who engage in the trade should be marked as culprits. He said that those who use drugs are victims, and our systems should make efforts to bring them back to the right path rather than leaving them to become permanently addicts.

Shri Amit Shah said that we have also created a Seizure Information Management System (SIMS) e-portal, and it should be utilized. Information about the centralized NCORD portal should be percolated to police stations. He said that there is a unified database called National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco Offenders (NIDAAN) and another database for fingerprints known as the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) which should be used extensively. Shri Shah said that 35 States/UTs have established dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Forces (ANTF), and they should be commended. He said that we have also established the National Narcotics K9 Pool, and if states take this initiative forward, the Narcotics Control Bureau can help provide training to them.

Union Home Minister said that states should establish specialized courts against drugs and conduct their prosecution in a fast-track mode. He said that harsher punishment will act as stronger deterrent as it will send a stronger message. Shri Shah added that the confiscation of assets of those involved in the illicit drug trade should be increased. He emphasized that public shaming/boycott of these individuals will discourage others from joining this trade. Shri Shah said that we need to move ruthlessly towards the confiscation of assets. He added that until we strengthen the Forensic Science Labs (FSL), the prosecution will not progress. He emphasized that this is a question of initiative, not resources. Similarly, for the eradication of illegal cultivation, especially in the northern regions, the Chief Ministers of those states need to pay special attention. The Union Home Minister said that our campaign against the drug abuse is a sacred mission to save the future generations of the country, to keep the nation safe, and it should be our top priority.

*****

RK/AY/AKS/AS