Shah thanked the states and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for destroying 1,44,000 kg of drugs worth Rs 2,378 crore.
The Union Home Minister also requested the Chief Ministers and Governors of all states to take similar steps.
While addressing the Regional Conference on ‘Drugs Trafficking and National Security’ here, Shah said: “In the last one year, about 10 lakh kg of narcotics worth Rs 12,000 crore have been destroyed across the country. Many congratulations to all the people involved in fulfilling such a big goal.”
He added that this fight against drugs is not only aimed at cracking down on the drug trade and achieving complete victory over it, but also at spreading awareness.
“Unless awareness against drugs is created in the minds of the youth, this fight will not be successful,” he asserted.
The Union Home Minister also said that earlier the main area of drug smuggling was called ‘Golden Triangle’ and ‘Golden Crescent’.
“But we have established it internationally as ‘death triangle’ and ‘death crescent’. This approach shows the direction and intensity of our fight against drugs,” Shah added.
He also said that when the state and the Central government along with all the agencies come together on a single platform, then only they will be able to provide complete freedom from drugs.
“We will be able to succeed in this campaign against drugs by following ‘Whole of Government Approach’ with Cooperation-Coordination-Collaboration,” the Union Home Minister asserted.
The drugs were destroyed in various parts of the country in the presence of the Shah virtually.
The drugs destroyed include 6,590 kg seized by the NCB’s Hyderabad unit, 822 kg seized by the Indore unit and 356 kg by the Jammu unit, the officials said.
Besides, various law enforcement agencies from different states also destroyed drugs — 1,03,884 (1.03 lakh) kg in Madhya Pradesh, 1,486 kg in Assam, 229 kg in Chandigarh, 25 kg in Goa, 4,277 kg in Gujarat, 2,458 kg in Haryana, 4,069 kg in Jammu and Kashmir, 159 kg in Maharashtra, 1,803 kg in Tripura and 4,049 kg in Uttar Pradesh.
–IANS
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