MHA moving fast to set up exclusive NDPS court

NEW DELHI: Ministry of home affairs is moving swiftly to set up exclusive NDPS courts across the country to secure speedy convictions in major narcotics cases, with home minister Amit Shah urging states to establish dedicated benches within their high courts for daily hearings. Till now, NDPS cases are handled by special judges of regular trial courts, but under the new plan there will be courts exclusively dedicated to handling cases under anti-narcotics law. Addressing the 10th Apex Level Meeting of the Narco-Coordination Centre in Delhi, Shah said State Police Chiefs must take personal responsibility for fast-tracking trials as part of a threeyear drive to dismantle India’s drug trade ecosystem. Shah unveiled the Vision Document on Drug Control (2026-29) and launched an Online Drugs Disposal Fortnight Campaign to destroy Rs 6,000 crore worth of seized narcotics weighing 2,09,500 kg. He said India’s location between the “Death Triangle” and “Death Crescent” makes the fight challenging as traffickers now use drones, maritime cargo, crypto payments and parcel shipments. Govt’s strategy rests on four pillars: Enforcement, Intelligence & Operations; Precursor and Synthetic Drug Control; Demand Reduction and Rehabilitation; and Capacity Building, Coordination and Monitoring. It follows a strict “Detect, Disrupt and Destroy” policy combining human intelligence, technology and community policing. Highlighting enforcement gains, Shah said drug seizures rose from Rs 40,000 crore (26 lakh kg) during 2004-14 to Rs 1,84,000 crore (1.18 crore kg) during 2014-26. Arrests increased from 1.95 lakh in 1.73 lakh cases to 10.97 lakh in 8.75 lakh cases, while the value of destroyed narcotics rose from Rs 8,000 crore to Rs 89,896 crore. Govt has made financial probes under PMLA mandatory in major NDPS cases, and asked states to strengthen Anti-Narcotics Task Forces, and improve coordination with CBI to pursue fugitives abroad through Red Corner Notices and extradition