Shah Talks Tough on Narcotics Trading as NCB identifies drug-laden Pak drones a ssignificant threat to country's security

PTI, NEW DELHI, SEPT 16, 2025 :  Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the time has come to bring those who run the drug trade in India by sitting abroad and stressed that the Narendra Modi government is determined to wipe out all kinds of narcotics from the nation.

Addressing the second national conference of heads of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of states and Union territories, he also said that strict action is being taken against drug cartels which are smuggling and selling drugs 'pudiya' (small packets) in 'paan' shops or kiosks. Shah said a triangular strategy has to be adopted in the fight against drugs.

"For the drug supply chain, we should have a ruthless approach, a strategic approach in demand reduction, and a human approach in harm reduction. The ANTF should move forward with these three approaches," he said.

The two-day conference, organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), began here on Tuesday. Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of 2047 to make India a fully developed and great nation. To achieve this, the country has to be fully secure, he said. "The Modi government is determined to wipe out the drug menace from the country and is making all-out efforts to achieve this goal," Shah said.

"PM Modi has set forth the vision of creating an India by 2047 that will be the world's number one in every aspect and fully developed — a nation secure enough that no one can penetrate. For this, our youth are the biggest hope, and if they are determined, nothing is impossible, as they are the foundation of any nation," he said.

Shah talks tough on narcotics trading as NCB identifies drug-laden Pakistani drones as a significant threat to the country's security. A report released on Tuesday has mentioned a sharp spike in the sightings and recovery of drug-laden drones coming into India from Pakistan across the international border in Punjab over the last four years, posing a "significant" threat to the country's internal security. Anti-narcotics agencies have also witnessed a six-time increase in the seizure of synthetic drugs between 2019-24, according to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

The Home Minister released the report during the 2nd national conference of heads of anti-narcotics task forces (ANTF) of various states and UTs that he inaugurated on Tuesday. The NCB is a federal anti-narcotics agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"The use of drones for cross-border smuggling of narcotics has emerged as a significant threat to India's internal security, particularly along the Pakistan border in Punjab. This evolving modus operandi has replaced traditional smuggling methods and poses a complex challenge for law enforcement and border security agencies," the report said.