Half of all heroin seized in India from Punjab

The spike in arrests for drug offences in the state coincides with a brutal political attack launched by Congress president Rahul Gandhi against the Akalis in 2012. Gandhi had publically quoted a study submitted in the Punjab & Haryana high court that seven out of every 10 young people in Punjab were doing drugs. The civil society and media had also been highlighting the scale of the abuse of opium derivatives and synthetic medical prescription drugs in Punjab. Although mocked by Badal at the time, the data seems to indicate that Rahul’s public assault after the elections jolted the newly appointed government.

It is not just the arrests that doubled after Rahul Gandhi’s famous October 2012 speech. Narcotics Control Bureau data suggests that the haul of opium and heroin in the state also touched new highs during SAD-BJP combine’s second term. Between 2012-15, 53 per cent of all heroin seized in India was in Punjab. (See Table: Heroin Seizures: Punjab vs All-India)

The state topped the charts when it came to heroin seizures every year during the period. Most of these seizures were done by the Border Security Force (BSF) which indicates that the United Progressive Alliance-2 (UPA-2) also upped the ante after realising the gravity of the drug problem in the border state.

Opium, which is produced under licence in two Indian states, also saw record seizures in Punjab. In 2015, a quarter of all opium seized in India was in Punjab. In 2013, the figures were even more glaring. 41% of all the opium seized in India was in Punjab. Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra were the other states in which sizable quantity of opium was seized.

Every single party fighting the upcoming elections scheduled to be held on February 4 has made the drug problem in Punjab as their leitmotif. The Congress has mentioned in its manifesto that if voted to power, it would eliminate the drug problem in the state within four weeks. The Congress manifesto promises to tread on the path taken by the Akalis in their second stint. The manifesto mentions, “The Congress promises tough action against all drug dealers, suppliers and distrubutors while maintaining compassion with victims.” The BJP which released its manifesto on Sunday has been more realistic than others by not promising a deadline to end the state’s drug woes. The party has promised to set up anti-drug squads instead. Its ally the SAD, meanwhile, has denied the existence of any drug menace in the state at all. The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been as optimistic as the Congress. Kejriwal has promised to end Punjab’s drug problem “within a month.”