Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah chaired the 10th apex-level meeting of the Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) in New Delhi, where he unveiled the comprehensive 'Vision Document on Drug Control (2026-2029)' and launched several key initiatives in India's fight against narcotics.
Key Announcements and Initiatives
Shah launched the 'Online Drugs Disposal Fortnight Campaign' with a target to destroy narcotic substances weighing 2,09,500 kilograms with an estimated value of ₹6,000 crore. He also released the 'NCB Annual Report – 2025' and e-inaugurated NCB Zonal Offices in Jammu and Guwahati to strengthen regional enforcement capabilities.
Strategic Framework and Four-Pillar Approach
The Vision Document establishes a comprehensive roadmap based on four pillars: Enforcement, Intelligence, and Operations; Precursor and Synthetic Drug Control; Demand Reduction and Rehabilitation; and Capacity Building and Coordination. Each pillar has clearly defined sub-pillars with specific targets and timelines, with a planned review after one year to refine the strategy for the remaining two years.
Operational Strategy: Detect, Disrupt, Destroy
The approach emphasizes a three-word strategy: Detect, Disrupt, and Destroy. This involves using human intelligence (HUMINT), technical intelligence, and community policing to identify drug networks through surveillance at borders, ports, airports, and villages. The disruption phase targets drug traffickers at every level—sources, transit routes, financing, and leadership—while the destruction phase aims to dismantle networks permanently through rigorous financial investigations and legal actions.
Financial Investigations and Legal Measures
A critical component requires mandatory financial investigations in major NDPS cases, with emphasis on identifying proceeds of crime, freezing assets, and preventing accused individuals from accessing funds even from jail. The Ministry of Home Affairs is working with High Courts to establish exclusive NDPS courts for speedy convictions, and states are urged to appoint Special Public Prosecutors for effective prosecution.
Inter-Agency Coordination and International Cooperation
The strategy mandates real-time information sharing among agencies and calls for coordinated action against dark web transactions, hawala networks, and crypto payments used in drug trafficking. States are instructed to transform their Anti-Narcotics Task Forces (ANTFs) into full-time, well-equipped units. For international fugitives, states should utilize Red Corner Notices, extradition processes, and the CBI to target drug smugglers and gangsters hiding abroad.
Demand Reduction and Rehabilitation
The approach includes establishing 'drug-free zones' and launching public awareness campaigns with participation from parents, teachers, educational institutions, and youth organizations. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment must expand the Nasha Mukt Bharat campaign, while the Ministry of Health must monitor pharmaceutical diversion and online pharmacies. Educational institutions will adopt a Drug-Free Campus framework.
Performance Metrics and Historical Comparison
Significant achievements were highlighted: between 2014-2026, drugs worth ₹1,84,000 crore (1.18 crore kilograms) were seized compared to ₹40,000 crore (26 lakh kilograms) during 2004-2014. Drug destruction increased from ₹8,000 crore (3,26,000 kg) in 2004-2014 to ₹89,896 crore (42,47,000 kg) in 2014-2026. Illegal cultivation destruction rose from 10,000 acres in 2020 to 42,282 acres in 2025. Arrests increased from 1,95,000 during 2004-2014 to 10,97,000 during 2014-2026.