Amit Shah Unveils Three-Year Roadmap for Drug-Free India

Shri Amit Shah outlined a three-pronged operational strategy described as "Detect, Disrupt and Destroy," which will guide anti-narcotics operations over the next three years.

The Government of India has unveiled a comprehensive three-year strategy to intensify the fight against narcotics, with Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah calling the coming years decisive in determining whether the country can defeat the growing drug menace. Chairing the 10th apex-level meeting of the Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) in New Delhi, the Home Minister released the Vision Document on Drug Control (2026–2029), launched the NCB Annual Report 2025, inaugurated new Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal offices in Jammu and Guwahati, and flagged off the Online Drugs Disposal Fortnight Campaign for the destruction of over 2,09,500 kilograms of narcotics worth ₹6,000 crore.

Describing the fight against drugs as a national responsibility rather than the task of a single agency, Shri Amit Shah said every state government, department, institution and citizen must work together to eliminate drug abuse and trafficking. He stressed that narcotics are no longer only a law-and-order challenge but also a serious threat to national security, economic stability and the future of India's youth.

Vision Document Sets Clear Targets for 2026–2029

The newly launched Vision Document outlines a structured roadmap built around four key pillars: Enforcement, Intelligence and Operations; Precursors and Synthetic Drug Control; Demand and Harm Reduction; and Capacity Building, Coordination and Monitoring. Each pillar contains clearly defined targets and timelines, with progress set to be reviewed after one year before refining the strategy for the remaining two years.

According to the Home Minister, the strategy has been developed using both the Whole of Government and Whole of Society approach, recognising that effective drug control requires cooperation between central and state governments, law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, healthcare providers, community organisations and ordinary citizens. He said awareness campaigns, rehabilitation services and public participation are equally important alongside strict enforcement measures.

The roadmap is closely aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of achieving both a Viksit Bharat by 2047 and a Nasha Mukt Bharat, making drug control an integral part of the country's long-term development agenda.

Detect, Disrupt and Destroy Strategy Targets Drug Networks

Shri Amit Shah outlined a three-pronged operational strategy described as "Detect, Disrupt and Destroy," which will guide anti-narcotics operations over the next three years. The approach focuses on identifying entire trafficking networks, dismantling their financial and logistical operations, and ensuring that criminal organisations cannot rebuild after enforcement action.

He warned that India's geographical location between the "Death Triangle" and the "Death Crescent" has made the country vulnerable to international drug trafficking networks. Criminal groups are increasingly using advanced methods such as drone deliveries, maritime cargo, darknet marketplaces, cryptocurrency payments, parcel shipments and technology-driven supply chains, making narcotics trafficking a sophisticated multi-domain crime.

To respond effectively, the government plans to strengthen intelligence-led operations by combining human intelligence, technical surveillance and community policing, particularly in border regions and sensitive districts. Financial agencies will work together to monitor hawala transactions, cryptocurrency transfers, darknet activity, ports and airports to disrupt the financial backbone of drug cartels. Enforcement agencies have also been directed to identify and destroy illegal laboratories, eliminate illicit cultivation and conduct aggressive financial investigations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to seize criminal assets and dismantle trafficking networks.

The Home Minister also emphasised the importance of maintaining a compassionate approach towards victims of addiction while adopting zero tolerance against traffickers. He said rehabilitation and de-addiction programmes must help individuals rebuild their lives while law enforcement agencies relentlessly pursue those profiting from the narcotics trade.

Stronger Coordination and Technology to Drive Anti-Drug Campaign

The government plans to significantly strengthen institutional coordination through output-oriented NCORD meetings at district, state and national levels while improving real-time information sharing among enforcement agencies. Shri Amit Shah urged states to convert Anti-Narcotics Task Forces into permanent, fully equipped units and called for financial investigations to become mandatory in all major NDPS cases involving commercial quantities of drugs.

He also appealed for the establishment of dedicated NDPS courts to ensure faster trials and stronger prosecution, while encouraging state governments to appoint nodal officers across departments to coordinate awareness campaigns, treatment, rehabilitation and educational initiatives. Ministries responsible for health, education and social justice have been assigned specific responsibilities, including tighter monitoring of pharmaceutical diversion, implementation of drug-free campus frameworks and expansion of rehabilitation services.

Presenting the government's performance figures, Shri Amit Shah said drug seizures have increased dramatically during the past decade. Between 2014 and 2026, authorities seized 1.18 crore kilograms of drugs worth ₹1.84 lakh crore, compared with 26 lakh kilograms worth ₹40,000 crore during 2004–2014. Drug destruction also rose sharply, with 42.47 lakh kilograms worth ₹89,896 crore destroyed between 2014 and 2026, while illegal opium cultivation destroyed increased from 10,000 acres in 2020 to 42,282 acres in 2025. During the same period, 8.75 lakh NDPS cases were registered and 10.97 lakh people were arrested, reflecting intensified enforcement efforts across the country.

Expressing confidence in the new roadmap, Shri Amit Shah said India has entered a decisive phase in its fight against narcotics. He urged every stakeholder to work with determination over the next three years, stating that coordinated action, modern technology, stronger intelligence and active public participation can help eliminate drug networks and move the country closer to the vision of a Nasha Mukt Bharat.