Zero-tolerance policy towards drugs showing results: Shah

chandigarh: In the regional conference on drug trafficking, national security organized under the Chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to root out the drug abuse menace from the northern states and formulating proactive strategies here on Saturday.

Shah said that today for the first time after Independence, with a clear direction and fast pace, the government has been able to carry forward the fight against drugs, and its results are also being seen.

"Drugs have an adverse effect on the security of the individual, society, economy and country, that is why it is necessary to uproot them with firmness. No healthy, prosperous, capable and safe nation can achieve its goals without adopting a zero tolerance policy against drug trafficking. Drugs smuggling and their spread are very dangerous for any society, when drug smuggling spreads it hollows out generations," said the Union Home Minister.

In the fight against drugs, the Ministry of Home Affairs has gone ahead with a multi-pronged approach, has undertaken several administrative reforms and also developed new methods and has taken a pro-active approach to engage the States. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also created a coordination mechanism in which that there should be no loophole anywhere till the district through NCORD.

Nearly 200 per cent more cases have been registered in the last 8 years between 2014-2022 as compared to 2006-2013, a 260 per cent increase in the number of arrests.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that drug addiction and drug trafficking are a matter of concern for the entire world. "The network of drug dealers is spread all over the country. Law enforcement agencies of various states are putting up a tough fight to break this network. However this problem can be curbed if the law enforcement agencies of different states work untidily with mutual coordination," he said.

The Chief Minister said that more than 200 NDPS Act cases are registered in Haryana every month. Till June 30, 1913 cases were registered in the state in which 2661 accused were arrested. Also, till June 2022, around Rs 32 crore recovered from 253 drug smugglers has been seized and the process of confiscation of property worth Rs 13 crore is going on. The Chief Minister said that under the NDPS Act, 142 drug de-addiction centres have been opened in the state.