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Union Home Minister Amit Shah will focus on aspects like ways to curtail drug trafficking through maritime routes, and stringent punitive action on drug traffickers resulting in zero tolerance in the Regional Conference on 'Drug Trafficking and National Security' in Karnataka' Bengaluru on Friday.
Other aspects like seamless coordination and cooperation between state and Central drug Law Enforcement Agencies and containment of the spread of drug abuse through a concerted awareness program will also be discussed in the conference chaired by the Home Minister. Representatives from five Southern States and three Union Territories (UTs) will be attending the conference, said a Home Ministry statement. The Union Home Minister will also oversee the destruction of 9,298 kg of seized drugs valued at Rs 1,235 crore during the meeting. The Ministry said the Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has adopted a policy of zero tolerance against drugs to make a drug-free India. "Under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, a target to destroy 75,000 kg narcotics was set during a 75-day campaign beginning June 1, 2022, but under the leadership of PM Modi, a total of 5,94,620 kilograms of seized drugs, valued at Rs 8,409 crore, has been destroyed so far, overachieving the target manifold. Out of the total drugs destroyed, 1,29,363 kg of seized drugs valued at Rs 3,138 crore has been destroyed by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) alone," said the Ministry. The Ministry further said it has adopted a three-pronged formula of strengthening the institutional structure, empowerment and coordination of all narcotics agencies and a comprehensive awareness campaign to crack down on narcotics. The issue of drug smuggling is not an issue of the Centre or state but a national issue and efforts to deal with it should also be national and unified, the MHA further said. To deal with the menace of drugs effectively, the Ministry appealed that "all the states should convene meetings of district-level and state-level NCORD regularly." "Using the latest technology in the fight against drugs should be the way forward and the use of drones, artificial intelligence and satellite mapping for identification and control of areas cultivating opium should be looked into, diligently. The cases of drugs should be investigated thoroughly from its source to destination to crack down on its entire network," it also added. (ANI)
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