Delhi awash with drugs: Top NCB official

Top official of NCB said that as per a joint survey conducted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and AIIMS, drug abuse in Delhi-NCR region was far above than the national average.

NEW DELHI: As many as 113 people, including 36 foreign nationals, were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Delhi zone in 2022 for drug abuse and smuggling. The agency registered 85 cases and seized nearly 200 kg of contraband.

Gyaneshwar Singh, Deputy Director General of the NCB said that as per a joint survey conducted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and AIIMS, drug abuse is more prevalent in Delhi-NCR region compared to the national average but the NCB was engaged in a relentless battle against the menace.

“Nationally, state police forces lodge 97% of the 55,000-odd FIRs registered annually under the NDPS Act. Only 1% is done by NCB, but these are at the top of the tier. Almost two-thirds of cases registered by us result in conviction,” the official said.

Of the total seizures made in 2022, the figure for Heroin stood at 117.007 kg, Cocaine 14.5 kg, Opium 13.505 kg and Ecstasy (MDMA) 303 grams .NCB also seized 1.1 kg of methaqualone, 13.2 kg of pseudoephedrine, 12.2 kg of Amphetamine and 820.7 grams of Methamphetamine was seized, besides  over 2 lakh tablets of pharmaceutical drugs and 3.6 kg of other psychotropic substances.

The total worth of seized drugs was approximately Rs 940 crore. Singh said that the use of synthetic drugs, including MDMA, is now becoming more prevalent in the Delhi-NCR area. “Earlier these drugs were not so commonly found in Delhi but unfortunately these are now being introduced among the drug users by the drug cartels for generating more revenue,” the 1999 batch IPS officer of HP cadre said. 

He added that some areas in Delhi and nearby satellite towns are becoming hotspots of both narcotic consumption as well as smuggling. “Dwarka and Greater Noida have become major hotspots of  foreigners who are into consumption and supply of contraband,” he said. Meanwhile, 9,300 kg of seized drugs worth Rs 1,235 cr was destroyed by the NCB at  different locations in the country on Friday. 

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