On a high: NCB seized 1.33L kg narcotics worth Rs 2K crore in 2025
NEW DELHI: The year 2025 has been a turning point for India’s war on drugs, with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) aggressively operating on multiple fronts: massive seizure operations, tough prosecution, international cooperation, and public outreach.
In a year-ending press briefing, the NCB said it seized 133,965 kgs of narcotics, worth approximately Rs 1,980 crore, as well as 77,773 kilograms of contraband estimated to be worth almost Rs 3,889 crore to prevent it from reaching the markets.
The global drug syndicates were pressed hard with concerted efforts. The Operation Crystal Fortress yielded 328 kg of premium methamphetamine in Delhi. The Operation Ketamelon busted one of the largest dark-net drug syndicates in India for distributing LSD and ketamine via cryptocurrencies.The Operation Med Max revealed a worldwide prescription drug trafficking operation extending over four continents with Indian traffickers utilizing encrypted communications and drop shipping.
Clandestine labs were also brought under intense scrutiny, where six labs in the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh were seized, resulting in the recovery of 110 kg of synthetic drugs like mephedrone, alprazolam, and ketamine. To disrupt the financing of trafficking, assets amounting to Rs 96.69 crore were frozen in 70 cases, and 16 orders of preventive detention were passed under the PIT-NDPS Act.
Internationally, the NCB published 37 notices for the interpol (Red, Blue, and Silver notices) and assisted in the deportation of five fugitives who were based in the UAE, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia.
Public participation turned out to be a great strength multiplier in the year 2025. The national anti- narcotic helpline number MANAS (1933) received over 1.19 lakh public interactions, resulting in 110 NDPS cases. AWARENESS campaigns like Nasha Mukt Bharat Pakhwada, Country-wide Anti-Drug Awareness Campaign, Missions Drug Free Campus, and Spiritual Outreach Programs touched practically crores of people. With its enhanced international relations, tech-assisted investigation, and strong engagement with its communities, according to the NCB, 2025 was an important step towards making India drug-free by 2047.
