Govt will destroy narco-terror ecosystem: Amit Shah

New Delhi, Jan 11: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah Monday said that the J&K Police had uncovered several cases of narco-terrorism and that the government would destroy the narco-terror ecosystem.

Chairing a regional conference on ‘Drug Trafficking and National Security’ at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, the Home Minister said, “The government is determined to destroy the entire ecosystem of narco terror.”

He said that the local police of J&K, Punjab, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh, along with central agencies, had uncovered several cases of narco-terrorism.

“We have made several changes in investigations, not only exposing drugs but also uncovering the terrorism networks associated with them,” Shah said. The Home Minister said that the use of the dark web, crypto-currency, online marketplaces, and drones continues to pose a challenge for the government.

He said that all agencies should strengthen the resolve for a drug-free India by stopping drug smuggling through the dark web, crypto-currency, and drones.

Shah emphasised that regional conferences had played a pivotal role in strengthening the nation’s fight against drugs.

He highlighted that in 2024, the NCB and Police forces across the country seized drugs valued at Rs 16,914 crore – the highest figure since independence - indicating significant progress in the campaign against this menace.

The Home Minister stressed the importance of timely policies, enhanced intensity, meticulous micro-planning, and consistent monitoring to address the challenges ahead.

He underscored that achieving a drug-free India is crucial to realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a fully developed India by 2047.

Shah called for unified efforts, urging both the union and state governments, along with all relevant departments, to work collaboratively with dedication and commitment to eradicate this evil.

He also announced the launch of ‘Drug Disposal Fortnight’ dedicated to the destruction of confiscated narcotics.

As part of this campaign, 1 lakh kg of narcotics valued at approximately Rs 8600 crore would be destroyed over the next 10 days, sending a powerful message to the people about the government’s commitment to eradicating drugs.

The Home Minister emphasised the need for a comprehensive, 360-degree ‘whole of government’ approach to achieve total victory in the fight against drugs.

He also inaugurated the regional unit in Bhopal and dedicated the extension of the MANAS-2 helpline across 28 states and eight union territories.

Shah urged all states to actively promote the MANAS app and toll-free number, emphasising the importance of prompt, result-oriented action on every call to enhance the credibility of the helpline.

He said that over 25,000 people had already engaged with the helpline and stressed the need for swift action on every call to ensure its effectiveness.

The Home Minister said that only through collective responsibility and dedicated efforts, the goal of a drug-free India could be realised.

He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the fight against drugs had strengthened a lot in the past 10 years and yielded good results.

“We are very close to success in this battle, and are moving in the right direction,” Shah said.

He said that between 2004 and 2014, 3.63 lakh kg of drugs were seized, which increased sevenfold to 24 lakh kg in 10 years from 2014 to 2024, which was a huge achievement.

“It is an example that the public, the courts, and the entire ecosystem, down to the grassroots level, are responding positively to our efforts,” the Home Minister said.

He said that the value of drugs destroyed in the 10 years between 2004 and 2014 was Rs 8150 crore, which had increased seven-fold to Rs 56,861 crore in the last 10 years.

Shah said that this should not be interpreted as an increase in drug usage, but rather that action is now being taken and results are being achieved.

He said that the Modi government has worked at a rapid pace to destroy drugs, uncover the networks, and bring the entire ecosystem under the grip of the law.

The Home Minister said that instead of being satisfied with these successes, there was a need to work with even more speed and enthusiasm.

He said that for the success of the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ campaign, technical solutions to these challenges must be found by the agencies, state governments, and the youth involved in this field.

“Only then this fight can be result-oriented,” Shah said.

He said that India was one of the largest producers of precursor chemicals, which was a concern in the fight against drugs.

“When strict measures are taken against traditional drugs, a natural diversion towards chemical drugs occurs,” the Home Minister said.

He said that at least 50 illegal labs had been caught across the country, which shows that due to strict actions of the government, the increased demand for drugs was being diverted through different channels.

Shah emphasised the need to stop this diversion immediately.

He urged all states to destroy illegal clandestine labs with rigour and take legal action against them with a ruthless approach.

The Home Minister said that PM Modi’s government had changed its approach against drugs since 2019.

He said that the central government was moving forward with a ruthless approach against the drug supply chain, a strategic approach for demand reduction, and a human approach for the victims.

“We need to increase the use of PIT-NDPS (Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act),” Shah said.

He emphasised the need to strategically and cautiously expand the use of legal provisions for asset confiscation.

The Home Minister also urged states to take proactive steps to enhance the capacity of Forensic Labs (FSL) instead of relying solely on the Centre for support.

He stressed the importance of investigating drug cases using both ‘top-to-bottom’ and ‘bottom-to-top’ approaches.

Shah highlighted that no narcotics case should be treated as an isolated incident, and investigations should continue until the entire network behind it is uncovered.

He urged that each case should be seen as an opportunity to dismantle a broader network, ensuring the fight against drugs reaches its logical conclusion.

The Home Minister emphasised the critical role of financial investigations in tackling the drug trade, including seizing properties linked to illicit activities.

He said that no major case should be concluded without a thorough financial investigation.

Shah said that to ensure the success of the ‘whole of government approach’, NCORD meetings should be conducted with greater vigilance, increased frequency, and a focus on achieving tangible results with full sensitivity.

He urged all states to hold district-level NCORD meetings, highlighting that making one district drug-free could pave the way for a drug-free nation.

The Home Minister stressed the importance of devising district-level strategies and establishing mechanisms to escalate cases systematically, which would significantly enhance the effectiveness of the campaign.

He called for moving beyond routine processes in NCORD meetings, urging organisers to take responsibility for ensuring actionable outcomes, effective decision-making, and the thorough implementation of resolutions.

Shah underscored the importance of incorporating geo-tagging, time stamping, and videography during seizures to ensure greater success in combating the menace of drugs.

He also highlighted the Government of India’s efforts to develop an anti-drone system, urging the Police forces of all border states to support this initiative by organising hackathons and actively contributing to advancements in this area.

The Home Minister said that a public movement and awareness against drugs were also important, and the Education Department, Social Welfare Department, and Health Department should also work with promptness.

He said that state government officials should make maximum use of the NIDAAN (National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco Offenders) portal.

“Along with this, we will also need to make changes in the rules and procedures as necessary for financial investigations, so that proper investigations can be conducted in such cases,” Shah said.

He said that the NCB should train all state government’s narcotics units and prosecution teams to ensure a 100 percent conviction rate in drug cases.

“State governments should take the lead in establishing special NDPS courts so that delays in the action on registered cases do not hinder the fight against drugs,” the Home Minister said.

He said that 7 percent of people in India use drugs illegally.

“Now is the time when we can all contribute to this fight and succeed in winning it,” Shah said. “If we miss this opportunity today, there will be no chance to reverse it later. We have the example of several Western countries where drugs have become a serious issue, and they have no solution to it.”

He said that often, people turn to drugs in desperation and end up ruining their lives.

The Home Minister said that the illegal use of drugs was not just a crime, but also destroys generations.

He emphasised that drug abuse was a cancer that destroyed the nation’s generations.

“We must defeat it,” Shah said, “If we fail to overcome this problem now, we may not be able to reverse the situation in future.”

He said that it would ruin generations, and the country’s potential would be harmed as well.

The Home Minister said that no country could move ahead in the race for development, achieve success, or remain secure with its youth entangled in drug abuse.

He said that everyone should join the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ campaign with sensitivity and depth of heart and take a pledge that “neither will we allow drugs to come into the country nor will we allow them to go for illegal sale anywhere outside our country and we will all work together to make India drug-free”.

Shah also launched the Drug Disposal Fortnight, inaugurated the new office complex of the Bhopal Zonal Unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and extended of MANAS-2 helpline to all 28 states and eight Union Territories.

The objective of the conference, organised by the NCB, was to focus on tackling the growing concern of drug trafficking and its impact on national security, with a special focus on eight states and union territories of northern India.

The Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh Gulab Chand Kataria, Lieutenant Governor of J&K Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister of Haryana Nayab Singh Saini, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister of J&K Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Singh Mann, and Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami joined the conference virtually.

The LG of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena, Union Home Secretary, Director of Intelligence Bureau (IB), Director General of NCB, senior officials from the eight participating states and Union Territories, senior officers from various union ministries, departments and law enforcement agencies also attended the conference.