Seize assets of drug dealers, shame them publicly: Shah
New Delhi, July 17
Asking agencies to remain vigilant against forces in the India’s neighbouhood which want to cripple the country both economically and in terms of its security by giving clandestine support to drug smuggling, Union Home Minister Amit Shah today pitched for harsher punishments such as confiscation of assets of those involved in drug trade and their public shaming, saying such action would act as strong deterrence.
Need cooperation from all CMs, L-Gs
We want to ensure that no youth is under the influence of drugs. Our aim is to make the country drugs free and secure. I appeal to all CMs and L-Gs to extend all possible cooperation for it.
Amit Shah, union home minister
He said the Centre under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi has “zero tolerance” to drug menace and this is being dealt with the “whole of government approach”.
Addressing a regional conference on ‘Drugs Smuggling and National Security’ here, during which more than 1.40 lakh kg of seized narcotics worth Rs 2,381 crore were destroyed in various parts of the country, Shah said the fight against drugs is to ensure that no youth is under the influence of narcotics and the country is safe and free from illegal substances.
The Home Minister said earlier the main area of drug smuggling was called ‘Golden Triangle’ and ‘Golden Crescent’, but the Government of India has proposed internationally that it should be named as ‘Death Triangle’ and ‘Death Crescent’. “This approach shows the direction and intensity of our fight against drugs,” he added. Shah said in the last one year 10 lakh kg of drugs worth Rs 12,000 crore have been destroyed and it is a very significant achievement.
The Home Minister also said when the state and Central governments along with all agencies come together on a single platform then only “we will be able to make the country free from drugs.” He said, “We will be able to succeed in this campaign against drugs by following the ‘whole of government approach’ with cooperation, coordination and collaboration.”
He also noted that unless the financial chains of drug smugglers were not broken, the fight against drugs would not be complete. The destruction of the narcotics, the bulk of it from Madhya Pradesh (1.03 lakh kg), was supervised by Shah through video conferencing. The drugs destroyed include 6,590 kg seized by the NCB’s Hyderabad unit, 822 kg seized by the Indore unit and 356 kg by the Jammu unit.
