MP plans network-based anti-drug strategy to meet Amit Shah’s 2029 drug-free deadline

Madhya Pradesh is reportedly planning a strategic shift from seizure-based anti-narcotics operations to a network-based approach to dismantle drug trafficking infrastructure. This follows a deadline set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to make the state drug-free by December 31, 2029. Following the announcement, a high-level meeting was convened in Bhopal, chaired by the state Chief Minister and attended by senior central and state officials, including the Union Home Secretary, Special Secretary for Internal Security, and the Director General of the Narcotics Control Bureau.

The discussions during the high-level meeting focused on dismantling the organizational, financial, and logistical roots of drug trafficking organizations rather than solely intercepting physical substances. Key issues identified included the inter-state smuggling of Ganja from Odisha through Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, as well as the trafficking of opium and poppy husk from western Madhya Pradesh to adjoining states. Officials emphasized joint intelligence-sharing, coordinated actions with neighbouring states, the effective use of NATGRID, the establishment of NDPS Special Courts, and the formation of an Anti-Narcotics Task Force.