Shah asks states to help ED bust drug-smuggling cases

New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday asked state governments to assist the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in financial investigations related to drugs smuggling in order to break the monetary chain of perpetrators.

Chairing the regional conference on “Drugs Smuggling and National Security” in Delhi, Shah oversaw through video-conferencing destruction of over 140,000 kg drugs worth ₹2,381 crore in various parts of the country.

“The state governments should support ED in financial investigations and refer cases to the agency. Our campaign (against drugs) will not be successful until we do not break the chain of interest of drug dealers by doing financial investigation,” Shah said. “That’s why we need ‘whole of government approach’ with cooperation, coordination and collaboration.”

He also stressed on the need for states to work with central agencies such as ED and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to deal with the menace of drugs.

“Only when the state and central governments along with all the agencies come together on a single platform, we will be able to make the country free from drugs,” the minister said. “Our aim is to ensure that no youth is under the influence of drugs... Our aim is to make the country drugs-free and secure. I appeal to all chief ministers and LGs (lieutenant governors of Union territories) to extend all possible cooperation for it.”

The home minister also said the government was close to eliminating the threat posed by use of drones in smuggling narcotics from across Pakistan border, adding that a stringent law on drones was being worked out.

“I want to assure the states sharing boundary with Pakistan that we are working on eliminating this drone menace from across the border,” he said. “The registration of drones is also under consideration.”

Shah also said there is no question of a single destination for elimination of drugs or a single target for it. “It is an act of constant vigilance. A moment’s laxity can spoil the entire movement,” he added.

During the conference, Shah oversaw the destruction of over 1.4 lakh (140,000) kg drugs worth ₹2,381 crore in different parts of the country. “In the last one year, 10 lakh [1 million] kg drugs worth ₹12,000 crore has been destroyed,” Shah said, hailing it as a “significant achievement”.

The destruction of narcotics, bulk of it from Madhya Pradesh, was carried out in various cities on Monday as Shah watched through video-conferencing from the national capital.

The drugs destroyed include 6,590 kg seized by NCB’s Hyderabad unit, 822 kg seized by the Indore unit and 356 kg by the Jammu unit.

Besides, various law enforcement agencies from different states and UTs also destroyed drugs — 103,884 kg in Madhya Pradesh, 1,486 kg in Assam, 229 kg in Chandigarh, 25 kg in Goa, 4,277 kg in Gujarat, 2,458 kg in Haryana, 4,069 kg in Jammu and Kashmir, 159 kg in Maharashtra, 1,803 kg in Tripura and 4,049 kg in Uttar Pradesh.

Between June 1, 2022 and July 15, 2023, NCB regional units and anti-narcotics task forces of states have collectively destroyed 876,554 kg seized drugs worth around ₹9,580 crore, which is over 11 times the target.

Shah also called for public shaming of drug traffickers and handing them harsher punishment. “States should establish specialised courts against drugs and conduct their prosecution in a fast-track mode. Harsher punishment will act as stronger deterrent as it will send a stronger message. The confiscation of assets of those involved in the illicit drug trade should be increased,” he said. “Public shaming/boycott of these individuals will discourage others from joining this trade.”

In an interview with HT on May 3, Shah had said that the government has intensified its campaign against cartels smuggling narcotics into the country by setting into motion a multi-pronged strategy to combat the trafficking and abuse of drugs.

Earlier, while addressing the first national conference of heads of anti-narcotics task forces (ANTFs) in April, the home minister had asked the officers to be “ruthless” towards drugs smugglers and treat users as victims. He had asked states to keep aside political differences to make India drug-free by 2047.

“Drug trafficking doesn’t affect an individual or a state or the Centre. It is a national problem, which hinders a country’s development and makes it hollow,” he had said. “This fight needs to be fought by keeping party politics and political ideologies aside so that we can give a drug-free atmosphere for the next generations.”

According to the 2022 annual report of NCB, 70% of total drug trafficking in India is being conducted through maritime routes. “Most of the seizures (by agencies) are sourced from the ports of Afghanistan or Iran which are destined to coastal states of India or are in further transit to countries like Sri Lanka, Maldives, etc,” the report, seen by HT, said.

During the meeting, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann suggested that an anti-drone technology or jammers should be installed along the international border with Pakistan to check the smuggling in of drugs and weapons. He urged the home minister to make registration of drones compulsory, citing cross-border smuggling of weapons and heroin