Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday chaired a regional conference on ‘Drug Trafficking and National Security’ in New Delhi, where he launched the Special Drug Disposal Fortnight initiative, reaffirming the nation’s commitment to eradicating the drug menace. Amit Shah, in his address, highlighted the significance of this exercise in safeguarding the future of the nation, reaffirming the government’s commitment to a ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’. Marking the beginning of this initiative, the Andaman and Nicobar Police commenced the destruction of the country’s largest-ever haul of seized drugs of approximately 6,000 kg of Methamphetamine with an estimated international price of approximately Rs 36,000 crore.
The largest-ever haul was seized from a fishing trawler in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in November last year. It was the largest maritime seizure in India.
The disposal process, supervised by the Director General of Police, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal, began on Saturday under the aegis of a High-Level Drug Disposal Committee chaired by IGP Geeta Rani Verma. The committee, comprising Jitendra Kumar Meena, IPS, SSP (CID), Mohd. Irshad Haider, IPS, SP, and representatives from key agencies such as the Andaman and Nicobar Pollution Control Board, Enviro Check (for monitoring emissions), and GB Pant Hospital, initiated the destruction process.
This drive underscores the unwavering resolve of the Andaman and Nicobar Police in creating a drug-free society. The entire process was broadcasted live from eleven different locations in the country and was attended by Chandra Bhushan Kumar, IAS, Chief Secretary, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Neeraj Bharti, IAS (Secretary, Home), as well.
The destruction process was meticulously recorded on video and conducted in strict compliance with all the legal and procedural requirements.
This marks the first phase of a systematic disposal process, constrained by the incinerator capacity at GB Pant Hospital, with the drive continuing until the complete destruction of all seized narcotics. The initiative follows the directives of the Supreme Court of India in Mohanlal vs Union of India and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Rules (Seizure, Storage, Sampling, and Disposal), 2022.
Dhaliwal expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Indian Coast Guard and all other stakeholders for their invaluable support in making this operation and its subsequent disposal a success. This milestone underscores the strength of the Islands’ law enforcement framework and its resolve to protect the safety and well-being of its citizens.