Heroin seizure down, opioids up

While addiction to pharmaceutical drugs saw a spike of more than three times this year, there was a dip in seizure of ‘chitta’ (heroin) as compared to the last year.

For the first time, six drug lords got stringent detention of up to two years under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act.

Despite daily reports about heroin recovery, the year-round data furnished by the Police Department suggests a decline in seizure.

In 2024, cops seized 1,099 kg heroin as compared to 1,161 kg contraband confiscated last year. The number of FIRs registered under the NDPS Act came down to 8,935 against 10,786. Even the number of smugglers nabbed came down to 12,255 from 14,951 last year. Despite this, the police forfeited 550 properties of drug smugglers compared to 294 in 2023.

Last year, the police seized 83.17 lakh tablets, capsules, injections and vials of pharma opioids while in 2024, seizures skyrocketed up to Rs 2.94 crore.

Police officials said there was a shift among drug addicts to use pharma opioids as inflow of heroin from Afghanistan has reduced after the Taliban government banned heroin. Further, cultivation in Afghanistan has also come down. Myanmar (Burma) is producing 1,083 metric tonnes of opium while Afghanistan production has reduced to 433 metric tonnes.

Officials claimed that shifting 200 smugglers, including big fish, in zero-mobile network area of the Bathinda jail from other prisons has hit the supply chain.

Notably, the police and health officials had sparred in a high-level government meeting to tackle drug abuse after 14 deaths took place due to drug over dose in June.