New Delhi, 22 September (H.S.): Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said India has set a target of collectively eradicating the drug trade from the country by December 31, 2029, and called for all states and Union Territories to work together and take decisive action towards achieving the goal.

Inaugurating the third National Conference of the chiefs of Anti-Narcotics Task Forces (ANTFs) here, Shah said the campaign against narcotics should focus not merely on seizures but on dismantling the entire network. He emphasised that the fight against drugs must be driven by clearly defined targets, timelines and accountability.

Shah said the approach to combating the drug trade must evolve “from meetings to mission, from reporting to results, from seizures to dismantling networks, and from cases to convictions”. He also stressed the need to develop the ANTFs into an ‘Anti-Narco Mission Command’.

The Home Minister said the district should be made the basic operational unit for combating narcotics. Under this approach, districts would be categorised into three groups based on areas of drug production and entry, transportation corridors and consumption. He also emphasised the need to prioritise financial and digital investigations to dismantle drug networks.

Shah said absconding accused involved in supplying narcotics from abroad would be apprehended and brought before Indian courts. He added that action would also be taken to deport foreign nationals accused of involvement in the drug trade and place them on blacklists, wherever applicable under the law.

The Home Minister said young people have a crucial role to play in the campaign against narcotics. Under the ‘Nasha Mukt Mitra’ initiative, the government has set a target of reaching 10 lakh schools, colleges and other institutions across the country. So far, 46,780 ‘Nasha Mukt Mitras’ have been registered.

Shah said the evolving challenges posed by the drug trade include synthetic drugs, misuse of chemical precursors, the darknet, cryptocurrencies, emerging communication platforms and international trafficking networks. To counter these threats, he said investigation and enforcement agencies would have to adopt new technologies and innovative methods.

On the occasion, Shah launched television advertisements aimed at raising awareness against narcotics as well as the website of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). He also laid the foundation stones for NCB regional complexes in Lucknow and Dehradun and felicitated high-performing ANTFs.

The conference was attended by the chiefs of 36 ANTFs from various states and Union Territories.

The conference also discussed the ‘Vision Document 2026-2029’, which sets out targets and timelines for action against narcotics. Shah said the fight against drugs must be advanced through coordinated efforts involving all levels of government and the agencies concerned.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar