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.