Drones and drugs: Centre must help Punjab combat the menace

THE Central and state governments have reaffirmed their commitment to making India drug-free by 2047, as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, this ambitious goal cannot be achieved unless special attention is paid to one of the most vulnerable states, Punjab. The 2024 report of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), released earlier this week, has flagged a surge in the sightings and recovery of drugs-laden drones entering the border state from Pakistan over the past four years. According to the NCB, the use of drones for cross-border smuggling of narcotics has emerged as a significant threat to India’s internal security. Law enforcement and border security agencies have their hands full as drug cartels are adopting the aerial route instead of the riskier traditional methods.

Of the 179 cases of drug trafficking through drones along the India-Pakistan border reported last year, Punjab accounted for 163, followed by Rajasthan (15) and J&K (one). This leaves no room for doubt that Punjab is the best bet for cross-border smugglers despite the high incidence of seizures. These criminal elements have even cashed in on the recent floods to push narcotics into India using boats and tyre tubes. It’s also worrisome that foreign-based gangsters are teaming up with drug traffickers and local residents to fuel this menace which is eating into Punjab’s vitals. The state’s youth, particularly in rural areas, are soft targets for heroin and cocaine peddlers.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had rightly observed a couple of months ago that the drug crisis was no longer confined to personal addiction but had begun to threaten public order, national security and the rule of law. The Punjab government’s Yudh Nashiyan Virudh campaign must be dovetailed with the Centre’s Nasha-Mukt Bharat initiative. It’s apparent that the drugs entering Punjab are meant to be supplied to other states as well. Close coordination between the Centre and states, and also among the states, is a prerequisite to combat narco terror.