Amendments to anti-drug law will address emerging challenges, says Amit Shah, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced amendments to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act to address emerging challenges and regulatory gaps.
• A Vision Document on Drug Control (2026-2029) was released, outlining a national strategy based on "detect, disrupt and destroy" the drug ecosystem.
• The strategy emphasizes a reformative approach for drug users while targeting traffickers and organized criminal networks.
• States were urged to use Red Corner Notices with the help of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to apprehend drug traffickers hiding abroad.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is working to establish exclusive NDPS courts for speedy convictions in major cases.
• The 10th apex-level meeting of the Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD), organized by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), discussed these measures.

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Detailed Insights:

• The proposed amendments to the NDPS Act aim to update the law to be more effective against modern drug trafficking methods.
• The Vision Document provides a time-bound national strategy for dismantling the narcotics-drug ecosystem through coordinated action against trafficking, abuse, illicit finance, and organized criminal networks.
• Enforcement efforts will shift from targeting individual drug carriers to identifying and dismantling entire drug trafficking networks, including suppliers and financiers.
• The strategy includes AI-enabled profiling to strengthen interdiction capabilities across land, sea, and air trafficking routes.
• The MHA's plan for exclusive NDPS courts seeks to expedite legal proceedings and ensure timely justice in drug-related cases.
• The process of identifying, freezing, and seizing proceeds of crime will be made evidence-based and equipped with modern technology to prevent funds from returning to accused individuals.
• Over 40 Ministries, Central agencies, State governments, and other stakeholders will collaborate under a common national framework against drugs.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act: Indian legislation from 1985 prohibiting the production, possession, sale, purchase, transport, storage, and consumption of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
• Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD): A mechanism established in 2016 by the Ministry of Home Affairs to enhance coordination among central and state agencies in combating drug trafficking and abuse.
• Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB): India's nodal federal law enforcement and intelligence agency responsible for fighting drug trafficking and abuse, established under the NDPS Act.
• Red Corner Notice: An alert issued by Interpol to police forces worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.
• Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI): India's premier investigating agency, which also serves as the designated liaison for Interpol in the country for transnational investigations.