181% rise in registration of drug cases during Modi govt: Shah

He said the registration of criminal cases against drug traffickers and cartels in the country rose by 181 per cent during the nine years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

The Home Minister was addressing the first conference of the heads of Anti-Narcotics Task Forces of states and Union territories here. “Drug traders are the main culprits as the drug consumers are the victims. We have to take a ruthless approach against the drug traders and the strongest possible action should be taken against them,” he said, as he asked political leaders across states to rise above “party politics and ideology” in this effort.

Shah, who also launched an app to identify illegal farming of drugs, said the government is committed to eradicating the menace of drugs.

“While only about 1,257 cases were registered between 2006 and 2013, the number has increased to 3,544 between 2014-2022. In the same period, the number of arrests increased 300 per cent to 5,408 as against 1,363 arrests. During 2006-2013, 1.52 lakh kilograms of drugs were seized which doubled to 3.73 lakh kilograms between 2014 and 2022,” he said.