Amit Shah calls for tough action against dark web, cryptocurrency and drones

The Home Minister shared the government’s progress in dismantling drug networks and combating narco-terrorism in regions like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has emphasized the need for stricter measures to combat emerging threats from technologies like the dark web, cryptocurrency, online marketplaces, and drones. Speaking at a conference on ‘Drug Trafficking and National Security’ in New Delhi, Shah discussed the growing challenges these technologies present to India’s security and the importance of coordinated action to address them.

Organized by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the conference highlighted the role of drug trafficking in national security, particularly focusing on northern states and Union Territories. Shah stressed that technical solutions and collaboration between state governments, the central government, and experts are crucial in tackling these issues.

The Home Minister shared the government’s progress in dismantling drug networks and combating narco-terrorism in regions like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. He noted that drug seizures have increased sevenfold over the past decade, with Rs 54,851 crore worth of drugs destroyed—eight times the amount eliminated in the previous decade.

Shah also announced the launch of a ‘Drug Disposal Fortnight’ from January 11 to 25, during which narcotics worth Rs 8,600 crore would be destroyed. Additionally, he inaugurated a new office complex for the NCB’s Bhopal Zonal Unit and expanded the MANAS-2 helpline across all 36 states and UTs.

Underlining Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Shah reiterated the government’s zero-tolerance policy on drug trafficking and outlined a three-pronged strategy for a drug-free India by 2047. This strategy includes strengthening institutions, improving coordination among narcotics agencies, and launching public awareness campaigns.

The conference also addressed the enhancement of real-time information sharing through platforms like the National Narcotics Helpline ‘MANAS’ and the Anti-Narcotics Task Force, as well as improving the capabilities of State Forensic Science Laboratories and establishing special NDPS courts for quicker trials.