Northeast drug trade is a 'direct threat to internal security,' says Nagaland DGP
Dimapur: A two-day regional conference of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) heads from the Northeast region and West Bengal began at Nagaland's Chumoukedima Police Complex on Thursday to strengthen efforts against drug abuse.
The conference aims to strengthen coordination, develop effective strategies, and lay a roadmap to curb drug trafficking and substance abuse across the region.
Jointly organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Nagaland government, participants from various central and state law enforcement, intelligence, and security agencies are in attendance.
Delivering the keynote address, Nagaland DGP Rupin Sharma observed that drug trafficking and use are no longer merely law-and-order issues but a direct threat to our internal security and the future of our youth.
He pointed out that the Northeast’s long and porous 1,643 km border with Myanmar, combined with challenging terrains, governance turmoil in Myanmar, and its proximity to the Golden Triangle (Myanmar-Laos-Thailand), makes the states of the region, including Nagaland, extremely vulnerable.
He said the drugs and drug money flowing through these routes feed the nexus of organised crime, insurgency, and narco-terrorism.
"Dismantling the drug cartels is synonymous with enhancing national security," he added.
Sharma said Nagaland alone has an estimated 1.2 lakh drug users, who consume heroin, locally known as ‘shaanflower’ or ‘SF,’ because of its traditional origins in the Shaan province of Myanmar.
The DGP proposed three key pillars for the conference: coordination, enforcement, and accountability. He stressed that coordination among agencies, coordination among the various pillars of the criminal justice system, and coordination between law enforcement and civilian wings of government with the public are key to fighting the drug menace.
NCB Director General Anurag Garg, in his address, highlighted the significance of coordinated efforts among the northeastern states to strengthen enforcement mechanisms and intelligence sharing in the fight against narcotics.
He stated that a 2019 survey conducted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment showed higher rates of drug abuse in the NE states compared to other states of the country.
R Sudhakar, DDG (NER), NCB, emphasised the need for constructive discussions in formulating effective strategies and a comprehensive roadmap to tackle the drug problem in the Northeast, viewing the conference as an opportunity for the states to unite in this common cause.