Like Naxalism, govt will eliminate drug menace in the country by 2029: Amit Shah

Union home minister Amit Shah today said the government will eliminate the drug menace in the country in the manner Naxalism was eliminated. He said the government has prepared a three-year roadmap till 2029 to deal with the drug menace on a mission mode.

“Just as Naxalism has been eliminated from the country, the problem of drugs will also be eliminated with the same resolve,” Shah said addressing a press conference on narcotics control in Panaji.

“The period from 2026 to 2029 has been declared as mission mode. Timelines have been fixed, different ministries have been made accountable, measurable outcomes have been decided, and quarterly reviews along with outcome-based accountability will be ensured,” he added.

What is the drug eradication roadmap of India?

Shah said the roadmap is based on four pillars. “First—intelligence and operation-based enforcement; second—precursor and synthetic drugs control; third demand and harm reduction; and fourth—capacity building and coordination,” he added.  

He said that all these pillars together will prepare dossiers of drug kingpins, coordinate backward-forward linkages, and tighten the noose through financial investigation of every case involving commercial quantities.

“The BSF, CISF, Indian Coast Guard, Customs and DRI will carry out risk-based profiling and install scanners at land borders, ports, airports and cargo for sharper surveillance. The CBI, Ministry of External Affairs, and Interpol will bring back the fugitives. The Enforcement Directorate, Financial Intelligence Unit and the banking system will catch the money trail,” Shah added.

Narcotics being used to fund terror: Amit Shah

He said that the earnings from narcotics are also used for terrorism. “The narco-terror module is active in many countries of the world, and the entire world is today grappling with this problem,” he added.

Outlining the measures taken by the government since 2019 to curb the drug menace, shah said a robust system has been put in place. “For this, we have changed the systems, caught the networks, broken the financial chain, and also provided handholding to those addicted to free them from drugs,” he added.  

Shah said that before 2014, this battle was fought in a piecemeal manner, and satisfaction was derived from making small seizures and catching small accused persons. “But since 2019, the Modi government has made this subject a priority of national security. The fight against drugs has moved beyond files and the actions of separate agencies and has now become a coordinated and continuous campaign at the national level,” he added.