From 2019 to 2024, a total of 13,186 arrests were made in Jammu and Kashmir under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, while only four convictions were recorded during the same period.
According to the data provided by the Ministry of State (MoS) for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, in response to a question in the Lok Sabha, arrests in Ladakh were minimal, with only 11 cases reported between 2021 and 2022, and no convictions since 2019.
“The arrests in J&K saw a steady increase in the first five years, with 1,700 arrests in 2019, 1,769 in 2020, 2,217 in 2021, 2,755 in 2022, and 3,072 in 2023. However, the number of arrests dropped to 1,673 in 2024 (till date). As for convictions, J&K reported a total of 4 convictions during the same period. There was 1 conviction in 2019, no convictions in 2020, followed by 1 conviction each in 2021 and 2022. No convictions were recorded in 2023, but 1 conviction was made in 2024,” the reply reads.
The data indicated that the number of arrests in J&K increased by more than 70% from 2019 to 2024.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has established a 4-tier Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) mechanism to improve coordination between central and state drug law enforcement agencies. An NCORD portal has been developed to provide comprehensive information on drug law enforcement, including data on narco-offenders, legal information, and state initiatives, it added.
Following the 5th Apex Level Committee meeting of NCORD, each state and union territory has set up an Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), headed by an ADG/IG-level police officer, to act as the NCORD Secretariat and ensure compliance with decisions taken during NCORD meetings, the MoS said.
Border Guarding Forces like the BSF, Assam Rifles, and SSB, along with agencies such as the RPF and NIA, have been empowered to take action under the NDPS Act. Intelligence sharing and controlled delivery operations are being conducted regularly within India and with foreign countries.
To strengthen the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), 425 new posts have been created, increasing its sanctioned strength to 1,598. The NCB is also actively conducting drug awareness programs in schools and colleges, organizing rallies and dramas in collaboration with NGOs, and sending SMS alerts through mobile service providers to spread awareness about the dangers of drug abuse.
Every year on June 26, the NCB observes the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to educate the public about the harmful effects of drug abuse and trafficking—(KNO)