To cut at root of narcotics, Centre plans drive against poppy, cannabis

Introduction:

• Union government intensifying crackdown against drugs
• Aim to make India “drug-free” by 2047
• District Superintendent of Police to be held accountable for narcotics and banned substances in their area
• Over 89,000 football fields of poppy and cannabis destroyed in the past three years
• Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) reports 35,592 acres of poppy and 82,691 acres of cannabis destroyed across the country
• States where crops were destroyed include Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tripura and Telangana

Destruction of Illegal Crops:

• Manipur saw the highest-ever destruction of poppy crops in the past three years
• Alternative livelihood scheme launched for farmers growing poppy illegally
• Cash incentives provided to destroy illegal crops
• Winter hybrid vegetable seeds and saplings of pineapple, apple and spices distributed to farmers
• Scheme covered 600 farmers
• Ministry constituted study group to analyse use of drones in destruction of illegal crops in remote areas
• NCB shares satellite images with affected States
• 2,412 persons arrested in the last three years, including 224 foreigners
• PITNDPS Act, 1988 being liberally applied
• Provision to detain individual for up to two years without court’s intervention
• Over 500 persons currently detained across the country under this provision

Use of Dark Net and Crypto Currency:

• NCB investigating increase in use of ‘dark net’ and crypto currency in illegal drugs
• Investigated 59 such cases in 2020, 2021 and 2022
• Multi Agency Centre (MAC) created to share inputs on use of dark net and crypto currency for trade in narcotics

Anti-Narcotics Task Forces (ANTF):

• All States have created dedicated ANTFs
• First-ever conference of State ANTFs held on April 19-20
• Confiscation of property and assets of accused stressed for maximum deterrence
• Property worth ₹17 crore frozen in 33 financial investigation cases in 2022
• Seized drugs to be destroyed through proper process to prevent rotation of drugs due to corruption
• 7 lakh kg of drugs burnt by government agencies so far

Information and Database:

• Each recovery, seizure and arrest plotted on interactive map and placed on centralised portal run by NCB
• Source and destination of drugs highlighted on National Narcotics Coordination portal
• Information up to district levels maintained
• NIDAAN database has photographs, fingerprints, court orders, information and details of all suspects and convicts arrested under NDPS Act so far
• Database can be accessed by State and Central law enforcement agencies

Conclusion:

• Court judgments leading to acquittal of accused being studied to enhance conviction rate
• Special training being given to public prosecutors to handle such cases.