Last Updated on September 16, 2025 9:48 pm by BIZNAMA NEWS
Staff Reporter
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has emphasised that the time has come to scale up action and execution in the fight against drugs. He said the Modi government is taking ruthless action against both small drug dealers and big drug cartels.
Inaugurating the 2nd National Conference of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) Heads of States and Union Territories in New Delhi today, Mr Shah said, stringent measures are being implemented to target the entry, distribution, local sale, and masterminds of the drug trade in the country. He said that the battle is no longer just about catching small-scale drug peddlers but targeting three types of cartels: those operating at entry points, those distributing from entry points to states, and those selling narcotics in smaller areas within states.
He urged every state to develop a high-level strategy targeting all three types of cartels, involving state and district police. He highlighted the need to adopt technologies such as darknet analysis, cryptocurrency tracking, communication pattern analysis, logistics, financial flow analysis, metadata analysis, and machine learning models to curb these cartels.
Mr Shah informed that the Drug-Free India campaign is currently being organised in 372 districts across the country. He mentioned that ten crore people and three lakh educational institutions are associated with this campaign. The Minister emphasised that this campaign should be conducted in every district of the country and that all educational institutions must be connected with it. Mr Shah added that the fight against drugs can only be successful when all departments of the Central and State Governments work together, moving in the same direction.
The Home Minister said that the Modi government is determined to wipe out drugs from the nation. Mr Shah added that deportation and extradition of fugitives are essential, and the time has come to bring all those drug traffickers operating from abroad under the ambit of Indian laws. He emphasised the need for collective efforts, stating that this will not only help in curbing drugs but also terrorism and other crimes.
The Minister emphasised the importance of protecting the nation’s youth from drugs to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of building a developed India by 2047.
Heads of 36 states and Union Territories of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force, apart from stakeholders from other government departments, are attending the conference. The two-day conference serve as a strategic platform to reinforce Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to a Drug-Free India and to formulate a roadmap to achieve this goal.
On the occasion, the Home Minister released the Narcotics Control Bureau Annual Report- 2024 and launched online Drug Disposal Campaign. During the conference, eight technical sessions will be held, including Drug Free India @2047, Improving effectiveness in Investigation and Trials, and Dismantling Network linkages and Cartels. The theme of the conference is United Resolve, Shared Responsibility.
