Modi Govt Has Prepared Roadmap To Make India Drug-Free By 2029: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set a target of making India drug-free by 2029, warning that money generated through narcotics is also being used to fund terrorism.

Shah said the government has significantly intensified its crackdown on drugs, with seizures rising from 26 lakh kg during 2004–14 to over 1.19 crore kg between 2014 and 2026. The value of seized narcotics also increased from around ₹40,000 crore to ₹1.89 lakh crore, he said.

Highlighting the government's anti-narcotics strategy, Shah said the MANAS 1933 helpline, restructuring of the NCB cadre and the NIDAN portal, which maintains a national database of offenders, have strengthened the fight against drug trafficking.

He said the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) is being used to target entire drug networks rather than focusing only on individual seizures. High-level task forces have also been established to strengthen coordination and enforcement.

Shah said a model for dedicated anti-narcotics task forces has been shared with all states and Union Territories. A Joint Coordination Committee, formed in 2019, brings together central agencies, state governments and various departments to tackle the drug menace.

Explaining the government's approach, Shah said a “reverse investigation” model is being used to dismantle drug networks. Investigators trace even a single seized packet back to its source, while large consignments intercepted at the borders are tracked to their intended end-users.

Shah also highlighted intensified financial investigations and the use of the PIT-NDPS Act to target drug trafficking networks. He said enforcement agencies are also focusing on darknet activities, encrypted communications, cryptocurrency payments and “dead-drop” deliveries.

A dedicated Darknet-Crypto Cell has also been established to tackle the growing use of technology and digital financial channels in narcotics trafficking, Shah said.

The Union Home Minister reiterated that the government is taking a multi-layered approach to dismantling drug networks, targeting their financial, technological, interstate and international links.