Govt to root out drugs, will not allow smuggling of narcotics: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday asserted that the Narendra Modi government will root out the menace of drugs from India and will not allow the smuggling of narcotics through the country.

In a video message on the International Day Against Drug Abuse, Shah said the home ministry has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against narcotics and the results of this approach have started coming in.

Shah said, "We have decided that we will not allow any kind of narcotics trade in India nor will we allow any drugs to be smuggled through India."

He further said, "I fully believe that with coordinated efforts, we will be successful in rooting out the menace of drugs and achieve our goal of a drugs-free India. We will not rest until this fight against drugs is won."

The war against drugs has been continuing, Shah said, and because of this coordinated action, narcotics worth Rs 22,000 crore were seized between 2014 and 2022. This is 30 times higher than the drugs worth Rs 768 crore that was seized between 2006 and 2013, he added.

He said cases against drug peddlers have increased by 181 per cent -- from 1,257 cases between 2006 and 2013 to 3,544 between 2014 and 2022.

Besides, he said, six lakh kilogrammes of drugs have been destroyed in the country since June 2022.

"This reflects the Modi government's commitment for a drugs-free India," Shah said.

The home minister said the success against the narcotics trade has been achieved primarily due to the Modi government's "whole of government" approach under which policies are being framed with close coordination of different wings of the government.

He said all prominent organisations, especially the Narcotics Control Bureau, have been continuing their fight against drugs.

The home ministry, Shah said, with the help of all organisations and state governments concerned, has been trying its best for a drugs free India but this war against narcotics cannot be won without people's participation.

To strengthen this campaign, Shah said, the ministry established the National Narcotics Coordination Portal (NCORD) in 2019 and the Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) was formed in the police department of every state.

On the occasion, Shah appealed to everyone in the country to stay away from drugs and also keep their families away.

The home minister said drugs not only make the younger generation and the society hollow but also its profits are being used against the country's security.

"I appeal to everyone to take part in this fight against drugs. People should inform the security agencies of any information about any drugs trade anywhere," he said.