Drug consumption in J&K doubled in 5 years
The Union Home Ministry has maintained that “there is no clear cut evidence of drugs being smuggled from across the border i.e. Pakistan and Afghanistan into J&K.” Though the number of drug smuggling cases have doubled during the past five years (2017 to 2021) in J&K, the ministry felt that there is no Pakistani hand in it. Of the 4598 cases registered in J&K, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) could find its links with Pakistan & Afghanistan in 12 cases only. "The total number of cases of smuggling with Pakistan & Afghanistan links were just 12 in five years which is not alarming", said these sources.
As per a report of NCRB, the number of cases of drug smuggling registered in J&K have doubled in five years (2017-21). If the number of cases registered in 2017 were just 743, they shot up to 1324 in 2021. The MHA also asserted that there is no study to indicate an increase in smuggling and consumption of narcotics/drugs in J&K in the last 5 years. As per survey conducted by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment on Extent and Pattern of Substance use in India through the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi during 2018, the estimated number of drug users are 5,85,000.
Of them, 1,36,000 persons consume cannabis, 4,47,000 use Opioids, 1000 Cocaine and 1,000 Amphetamines type stimulants. Official sources said that the number of users and the type of users do not indicate an alarming rise of smuggling or number of consumers. It is significant to mention that the NIA has been empowered under NDPS Act 1985 for investigation of Narco terrorism cases. A Dedicated Anti Narcotic Task Force has also been established in J&K.
