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Target all drug cartels, extradite smugglers: Amit Shah
Amit Shah urged states and central agencies to intensify action against drug cartels and improve extradition processes for traffickers operating abroad.
Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday asked the anti-narcotics task forces (ANTFs) of the states/union territories as well as the central agencies to focus scale up the action against drug trafficking, with a focus on all three types of cartels: those operating at border entries of the country, distributors from entry points to the states, and those selling to the end users up to the paan shops.
The home minister also asked the officers from states/UTs to work with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to identify, locate and extradite or deport the fugitives who are running their drug network from foreign countries.
He was speaking at the 2nd national conference of the heads of the ANTFs , attended by central investigation and intelligence agencies and chiefs of narcotics forces from the states/UTs. The conference, organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), will end on Wednesday.
“The time has come to scale up action and execution in the fight against drugs. Although stringent measures are being implemented to target the entry, distribution, local sale, and masterminds of the drug trade in the country, the battle is no longer just about catching small-scale drug peddlers but 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, even at paan shops,” Shah said, as he urged every state to develop “a high-level strategy targeting all three types of cartels, involving state and district police”.
He asked all the stakeholders, other than police, to dedicate at least a day every month just in order to fight against drug trafficking.
Shah further added that a three pronged strategy - strategic approach for demand reduction, humane approach for harm reduction and being ruthless to cartels - needs to be adopted to break the drug supply chain.
Highlighting the importance of deportation and extradition of drug traffickers, Shah said at the conference that “time has come to bring those operating drug trades from abroad under the ambit of Indian law”. “CBI has done commendable work in this direction and I urge all ANTF heads to coordinate with the CBI director (Praveen Sood) to establish a robust extradition system that is effective not only for drugs but also for terrorism and gang-related crimes,” he said.
“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. The need for a joint mechanism involving the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), CBI, and state police to bring back foreign criminals and fugitives involved in drug trafficking,” Shah said.
According to an officer, who didn’t want to be named, NCB director general Anurag Garg said at the conference that “states/UTs should locate those overstaying their visas in India and involved in drug smuggling”.
It is suspected that around 16,000 people from African countries are currently living in India after the expiry of their visas and many of them are involved in illegal activities such as drug trafficking, said this officer.
Shah also asked the states/UTs to form a special squad for following the financial trail, tracking hawala links, monitoring crypto transactions, and conducting cyber checks of drug smugglers. “Every state should also have a unit of a narcotics-focused forensic lab, so that offenders cannot easily obtain bail,” he said.
