Amit Shah instructs for NCB-CBI joint mechanism to extradite fugitives involved in drug trafficking

New Delhi [India], September 16 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday stressed the need for a joint mechanism of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to bring back foreign criminals and fugitives involved in drug trafficking.
Shah's direction came as he addressed the inaugural session of the second National Conference of the Heads of Anti-Narcotics Task Forces (ANTF) of states and Union Territories in New Delhi.
Speaking at the event, the Home Minister highlighted the importance of deporting and extraditing fugitives and said that "the time has come to bring those operating drug trades from abroad under the ambit of Indian law."
"There is a need for a joint mechanism involving Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and state police to bring back foreign criminals and fugitives involved in drug trafficking," Shah directed all the heads of ANTFs.
The minister praised the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for its commendable work in this direction and urged ANTF heads to coordinate with the CBI Director to establish a robust extradition system that is effective not only for drugs but also for terrorism and gang-related crimes.
He also stressed that just as extradition is crucial, a practical approach to deportation is equally important. "A liberal approach to deportation processes should be adopted to ensure a mechanism for deporting criminals."
He emphasised that the time has come to scale up action and execution in the fight against drugs.
Shah added that stringent measures are being implemented to target the entry, distribution, local sale, and masterminds of the drug trade in the country.
Noting that the battle is no longer just about catching small-scale drug peddlers, Shah said there is a mechanism of targeting three types of cartels: those operating at entry points, those distributing from entry points to states, and those selling narcotics in smaller areas within states.
He urged every state to develop a high-level strategy targeting all three types of cartels, involving state and district police.
He highlighted the need to adopt technologies such as darknet analysis, cryptocurrency tracking, communication pattern analysis, logistics, financial flow analysis, metadata analysis, and machine learning models to curb these cartels.
The Home Minister emphasised that this is only possible if everyone involved in the campaign takes ownership of the fight.
He also urged all stakeholders to dedicate 12 days in a year to this battle, stating that without such resolve, scaling up the effort cannot be imagined.
The minister stressed the need to involve "religious leaders and youth organisations" in the campaign.
Shah said that while the number of district-level National Narcotics Coordination Portal (NCORD) meetings has increased, 272 districts in the country have not held a single NCORD meeting. He urged all ANTF heads to encourage district collectors to organise NCORD meetings and coordinate with chief secretaries to ensure this.
Warning that the trend of synthetic drugs and labs is likely to increase in the coming days, Shah urged ANTF heads in every state to remain vigilant, identify, and destroy such labs or synthetic drugs.
Shah acknowledged significant progress in this area over the past year but stressed the need to prevent the creation of such labs and drugs altogether.
He said that only when the availability of drugs is eliminated will drug users come forward for medical assistance.
Shah informed that approximately 1,37,917 kilograms of drugs worth about Rs 4,800 crore were destroyed at 11 locations across the country.
He advocated for establishing a scientific tradition of destroying seized drugs every three months in every state, as drugs in police custody pose a danger.
Shah emphasised that both a top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top approach are essential to address the drug problem. He clarified that the goal is not to create statistics but to build an India where such statistics are unnecessary. He said that this is only possible by adopting a top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top approach. (ANI)