India will wipe out narcos, be drug-free by 2047: Shah

NEW DELHI: Seeking a unified, global approach in the fight against narcotics and narco-terror, Home minister Amit Shah Friday said India has chalked out a roadmap to eradicate drug cartels and make itself drug-free by 2047, such that not a single gram of drugs can enter the country or transit through its land or sea borders.

“The strategic goal of demolishing drug syndicates has been set. India aims for a completely drug-free eco-system by 2047; a concrete roadmap for this has been prepared with all the stakeholder ministries on board,” Shah said while delivering the R N Kao Memorial lecture organised here by Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). The lecture — organised annually since 2007 in honour of Kao, the founder of RAW — was themed on ‘Narcotics: A borderless threat, a collective responsibility” this year.

Turning to diplomats in the audience representing 40 countries, Shah appealed that they carry back the message of synergised approach for a drug-free world, to their respective govts.

Shah suggested that the nations must adopt a unified legal framework to deal with narcotics menace, focused on a common definition of controlled substances and similar penalties, actively share leads on movement of narcotics consignments and work closely to have drug kingpins extradited and brought to justice. “If this is not done, the narcotics and narco terror problem may grow out of control in the next 10 years,” the minister warned while batting for balancing the ruthless approach against narcotics trade and drug cartels with a humane approach towards the victims of substance abuse.

The Union home minister highlighted that drug trafficking was not just a law and order problem left to be handled by the police or anti-narcotics agencies, but an issue with a long-lasting impact on society and future generations. With drugs/narcotics proceeds known to fund narco-terror, organised crime and insurgencies across geographies, the minister said the battle against drugs must rise above geopolitical differences and individual national interests. “The world must simultaneously fight both narco networks and narco-terror states,” he stated.

He shared that India had, in the past two years, brought back more than 40 transnational criminals to India, with the support of friendly countries.

“There is a need for all responsible countries to reach a consensus that the war on drugs is critical to national security, protecting public health and preventing narco-states from becoming alternative power centres,” said the home minister.