Illegal drug trafficking is not only a challenge for India, but also a global problem: Amit Shah

RAIPUR: Indian Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said illicit drug trafficking was not only a challenge for India but also a global problem and stressed that the country could counter the menace if it acted decisively and strategically.

Speaking at a conference on the drug-related situation in Chhattisgarh at a hotel in Nava Raipur, Shah stressed that success requires the application of four formulas: “drug detection, destruction of the drug network, imprisonment of the offenders and rehabilitation of the addicts”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to make the country drug-free by 2047, the year the country celebrates its 100th anniversary of independence, and this promise has gradually become the promise of India's 1.3 million people.

“I believe that the solution of a drug-free India is very important for creating a prosperous, safe and glorious India,” Shah said.

Illegal drug trafficking is not only a challenge for India but also a global problem, he said, arguing for the need to raise awareness about this menace.

“If we act decisively and strategically, we can win this fight,” he said, warning that “several countries have lost their fight against it.”

The money earned through illegal drug trafficking is not only aimed at destroying the youth but is also used for anti-state activities, he said.

“It is also our national responsibility to make the country drug-free through a zero-tolerance policy,” he said.

Shah also raised concerns about the use of narcotics in Chhattisgarh. He said the percentage of use of sedatives in Chhattisgarh is 1.45, which is higher than the national average.

Chhattisgarh borders seven states, including Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, from where drugs are smuggled.

In Chhattisgarh, ganja consumption is at 4.98 percent, which is higher than the national average of 2.83 percent and is a cause for concern, he added.

Shah, who is on a three-day visit to the state, virtually inaugurated the zonal office of the Narcotics Control Bureau in Nava Raipur at the beginning of the meeting.