Recreational Drugs on Glass Table - Substance Abuse Concept. | Photo Credit: Dmytro Skrypnykov

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs is completely overhauling the nation’s anti-drug enforcement ecosystem, with a sharper policy framework, significantly strengthened policing mechanism, dedicated courts for speedier justice and improving coordination with states to dismantle the narcotics network over the next three years.

Union Minister for Home Affairs and Cooperation Amit Shah outlined the government’s roadmap while chairing 10th Apex Level Meeting of the Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) in the national capital where he unveiled ‘Vision Document on Drug Control (2026-2029).’ He also launched the ‘Online Drugs Disposal Fortnight Campaign’, under which a target has been set to destroy more than ₹6,000 crore worth of narcotic substances weighing 2,09,500 kilograms.

The Centre is “relooking” at the NDPS Act to plug loopholes exploited by narco syndicates and underlined the need for a ruthless approach towards drug peddlers and suppliers, he stated. The MHA has also taken up the matter with all High Courts to set up special courts, ensure adequate number of judges, and give priority to daily hearings in major cases for early disposal. We will not be able to effectively follow the money trail until we ensure real-time sharing of information. Therefore, real-time data sharing must be ensured, he emphasised.

In major NDPS cases, financial investigation must be made mandatory by the state police chiefs, he told the gathering of senior police officers and other dignitaries. The entire process of identifying proceeds of crime, freezing them, seizing them and ensuring they do not return to the accused even from jail will have to be made evidence-based and equipped with modern technology, he suggested. He wanted the enforcement agencies to adopt a policy of ‘Detect, Disrupt and Destroy’ the entire narcotics network, from the source to the kingpin.

According to the Minister, NCRB, NFSU, DFSS, I4C and NATGRID will have to do extensive work at their respective levels for cartel identification. States should convert their ANTFs into full-time units and transform them into dedicated, well-resourced, equipped and accountable units.

He urged all State governments to target drug traffickers and gangsters from their respective states, hiding abroad, by issuing Red Corner Notices, utilising the CBI and other agencies to initiate the process of bringing them back.

Sharing data on improved enforcement activities, Shah said between 2004 and 2014, drugs worth ₹40,000 crore — 26 lakh kilograms of synthetic drugs — were seized. In contrast, from 2014 to 2026, drugs worth ₹1,84,000 crore have been seized. This shows that our campaign is moving forward successfully.

Similarly, the destruction of illegal cultivation has also gone up, as per the MHA. In 2020, 10,000 acres of illegal opium crops were destroyed, while in 2025 we destroyed 42,282 acres. Between 2004 and 2014, there were 1,73,000 cases in which 1,95,000 arrests were made. From 2014 to 2026, 8,75,000 cases have been registered and 10,97,000 people have been arrested.

Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047 and has also given us the target of Nasha Mukt Bharat. The roadmap from 2026 to 2029 prepared to achieve this goal is based on four major pillars – Enforcement, Intelligence and Operations; Precursors and Synthetic Drug Control; Demand and Harm Reduction; and Capacity Building, Coordination and Monitoring, the Union Minister said.

Published on June 26, 2026