Committed to drug-free Bharat, says HM Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday reiterated the Narendra Modi government’s commitment to rooting out drug networks ruthlessly and hailed the latest Rs 1,800-crore seizure by enforcement agencies in the Arabian Sea.

In a post on social media platform X to praise the latest seizure by the Indian Coast Guard, HM Shah said, “In the ceaseless pursuit of building a drug-free Bharat, a monumental feat was achieved by seizing 300 kg of narcotics worth Rs 1,800 crore, near the international maritime border.”

“This operation, in the seas, is a shining example of the success of the Modi government's whole-of-the-government approach to rooting out the evil of narcotics. Applaud Gujarat Police ATS and Indian Coast Guard for the grand success,” he said.

Gujarat's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Indian Coast Guard on Saturday intercepted and seized over 300 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of Rs 1,800 crore, in the Arabian Sea near the Indian Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

The joint operation, conducted in the wee hours of April 13, was triggered by Intelligence regarding suspicious movements off the Gujarat coast, a region increasingly becoming the frontline in India’s war on drugs.

According to an official release from the Indian Coast Guard, the operation involved a swift-response patrol vessel that approached the suspected area after receiving tip-offs from central Intelligence agencies.

Spotting the fast-approaching security vessel, the smugglers -- believed to be operating a fishing boat from foreign waters -- jettisoned the drug-laden cargo into the sea and made a rapid escape towards the IMBL, presumably to avoid apprehension.

Divers and onboard personnel were then deployed in a meticulous recovery mission under challenging night-time conditions, ultimately retrieving several large packages of what is suspected to be high-grade methamphetamine.

As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), as many as 38,064 cases were registered in different states for drug trafficking under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 in 2022.

The number of cases registered in 2021 was 32,302 and in 2020 it was 26,560.

The maximum number of 7,433 NDPS cases in 2022 were registered in Punjab, followed by 4,920 cases in Uttar Pradesh and 2,590 cases in Tamil Nadu.