Amit Shah Unveils Three-Year Roadmap to Eliminate Drug Networks

The Government of India has launched an ambitious three-year strategy to strengthen the country's fight against narcotics, with Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah calling for a united national effort to eliminate drug trafficking networks and protect future generations. 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) and the NCB Annual Report 2025, while also inaugurating new Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal offices in Jammu and Guwahati through virtual mode. He also launched the Online Drugs Disposal Fortnight Campaign, during which narcotics weighing 2,09,500 kilograms and valued at ₹6,000 crore will be destroyed.

Addressing senior officials from across the country, Shri Amit Shah said India has reached a decisive stage in its battle against narcotics, adding that the next three years will determine whether the country succeeds in defeating addiction. He stressed that the issue extends far beyond law enforcement, affecting national security, social stability, economic interests and the future of the country's youth.

Vision Document Sets Four Strategic Priorities

The newly launched Vision Document on Drug Control (2026–2029) outlines a structured roadmap built around four pillars: Enforcement, Intelligence and Operations; Precursors and Synthetic Drug Control; Demand and Harm Reduction; and Capacity Building, Coordination and Monitoring. Each pillar contains specific objectives, timelines and measurable targets that will be reviewed annually to ensure steady progress.

Shri Amit Shah said the roadmap has been designed using both the Whole of Government and Whole of Society approach, recognising that success requires active participation from state governments, central ministries, law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, healthcare providers, community organisations and citizens.

He explained that the strategy supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047 while advancing the national goal of building a Nasha Mukt Bharat. According to the Home Minister, stronger coordination among all stakeholders will be essential to reducing drug demand, dismantling trafficking networks and preventing new generations from falling victim to substance abuse.

Detect, Disrupt and Destroy Strategy Targets Cartels

The Home Minister described India's anti-drug strategy in three words: Detect, Disrupt and Destroy. He said authorities must identify every layer of organised drug networks, ranging from international suppliers and cross-border traffickers to regional distributors and street-level dealers.

Shri Amit Shah warned that drug traffickers have become increasingly sophisticated, using drones, maritime cargo, darknet marketplaces, cryptocurrency payments, parcel deliveries and other technology-driven methods to evade detection. As India lies between the "Death Triangle" and the "Death Crescent," he said the country faces significant challenges in combating international narcotics trafficking.

To respond effectively, the government plans to strengthen intelligence-led operations by combining human intelligence, technical surveillance and community policing. Financial agencies will work together to monitor hawala transactions, cryptocurrency transfers, darknet activities and transport routes through ports and airports. The strategy also includes identifying and destroying illegal drug laboratories, eliminating illicit cultivation and conducting rigorous financial investigations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to seize criminal assets and dismantle trafficking networks.

At the same time, Shri Amit Shah stressed the need to distinguish between traffickers and victims. While law enforcement should adopt zero tolerance towards criminal networks, people affected by addiction should receive compassion, rehabilitation and support to help them return to healthy and productive lives.

Enforcement Results Show Sharp Increase in Action

The Home Minister highlighted significant progress made in anti-narcotics enforcement over 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 seized during 2004–2014. Drug destruction also increased substantially, with 42.47 lakh kilograms worth ₹89,896 crore destroyed between 2014 and 2026, compared with 3.26 lakh kilograms worth ₹8,000 crore during the previous decade.

Illegal cultivation has also come under greater scrutiny. The area of illicit opium cultivation destroyed increased from 10,000 acres in 2020 to 42,282 acres in 2025. During the same period, enforcement agencies registered 8.75 lakh NDPS cases and arrested 10.97 lakh individuals, reflecting intensified action against drug-related crimes across the country.

Looking ahead, Shri Amit Shah urged all states to strengthen Anti-Narcotics Task Forces, establish dedicated NDPS courts, improve real-time information sharing and make financial investigations mandatory in major narcotics cases. He also called for stronger public awareness campaigns, expansion of rehabilitation services and closer coordination between ministries responsible for health, education and social justice.

Expressing confidence in the roadmap, the Home Minister said that with determined action, modern technology and collective participation, India can make substantial progress over the next three years in dismantling drug trafficking networks and moving closer to the vision of a drug-free nation.