Over 60,000 kg of narcotics, drugs and psychotropic substances (NDPS), including marijuana, charas, opium as well as different types of synthetic drugs worth around ₹450 crore, have been seized by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)-Lucknow unit since 2020, NCB officials said.
The figure is an indicator of the market for NDPS in Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow, the officials said.
A senior NCB official said 17,834 kilogram of drugs items were seized in 2020, 33,948.153 kilogram in 2021, 6024.916 kilogram in 2022, 1222.736 kg in 2023 and 900 kilogram in 2024.
The official said the NCB is a dedicated agency to curb sale and usage of narcotics items, drugs and psychotropic substances, but the increase of synthetic drugs has increased, which is manufactured, using several medicines used for psychiatric treatment available in the open market.
Another NCB official said some of the popular synthetic drugs are LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) and MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, commonly known as ecstasy). He said these two synthetic drugs are quite popular among youngsters commonly associated with dance parties, raves, and electronic dance music. And these are also sold after being mixed with other substances such as ephedrine, amphetamine, and methamphetamine, he added.
He said LSD costs around ₹6,000 to ₹10,000 per dose while MDMA costs around ₹40,000 per gram dose. He said the effects of LSD begin within 30 minutes of ingestion and can last up to 20 hours, with most trips averaging 8–12 hours while the MDMA effects begin in 30 to 45 minutes and last three to six hours.
{{/usCountry}}He said LSD costs around ₹6,000 to ₹10,000 per dose while MDMA costs around ₹40,000 per gram dose. He said the effects of LSD begin within 30 minutes of ingestion and can last up to 20 hours, with most trips averaging 8–12 hours while the MDMA effects begin in 30 to 45 minutes and last three to six hours.
{{/usCountry}}Senior NCB official Kul Prakash Siddarth said the NCB’s field teams are already on alert ahead of New Year celebrations, apprehending the use of such drugs in parties. He said special efforts are being made by sensitising and spreading awareness among owners and operators of clubs and lounges in Lucknow and other parts of the state.