New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday called for a coordinated national offensive against drug trafficking, setting December 31, 2029 as the target to uproot the narcotics trade in India.
Addressing the 3rd National Conference of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) Heads of States and Union Territories in New Delhi, Shah said the fight against drugs must move beyond seizures and individual cases to dismantling entire trafficking networks.
“Target, timeline and accountability” must form the basis of the next phase of the campaign, he said, outlining the shift from “meeting to mission, reporting to result, seizure to end of network, and case to conviction.”
Shah said the Vision Document 2026–2029, prepared after consultations with more than 35 departments and stakeholders, provides the roadmap for the campaign. It has more than 100 targets across four broad pillars — enforcement and intelligence operations; control of precursor and synthetic drugs; demand reduction and harm reduction; and capacity building and coordination.
The minister said the country’s districts should become the basic operational units in the anti-drug campaign. They will be categorised into three groups — drug manufacturing or entry districts, transportation corridor districts and consumption districts.
He called for a three-level attack on drug cartels covering entry points, interstate distribution networks and local networks. Along with forward and backward investigations, financial investigations and tracing digital links should be prioritised to target the proceeds of drug trafficking, he said.
Shah also called for greater use of technology and forensics, particularly to tackle emerging threats involving synthetic drugs, precursor chemicals, darknet markets, cryptocurrencies, new communication technologies and international trafficking networks.
Under the Vision Document, the government aims to register one lakh Nashamukt Mitras. So far, 46,780 have been registered, according to the Home Ministry. These volunteers will reach out to 10 lakh schools, colleges and other institutions to create awareness among young people and sensitise campus authorities.
Shah also called for a coordinated strategy to deport and blacklist foreign accused involved in drug trafficking and to bring fugitives operating from abroad before Indian courts.
He said ANTFs should evolve into an “Anti-Narco Mission Command”, with states strengthening manpower, technology and financial resources for the campaign.
During the event, Shah launched anti-narcotics awareness television commercials and the redesigned Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) website. He also laid the foundation stones for new NCB zonal complexes in Lucknow and Dehradun. Best-performing ANTFs of states and Union Territories were honoured.
The two-day conference brings together ANTF heads from all 36 states and Union Territories, along with representatives of central government departments and other stakeholders.
Shah said a drug-free India was essential to protecting the country’s young population and achieving the broader goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
