Drug menace in J&K: Over 1.12 lakh kg of narcotics seized since 2018

The Union government has painted a worrying picture of the growing drug menace in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, said that drug trafficking, illegal crop growing, and substance abuse have grown steadily over the last five years in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

Since 2018, over 1.12 lakh kg of narcotic drugs have been seized, and around 10,000 people have been arrested under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act.

 

Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows that 2020 saw the highest number of drug seizures — more than 27,000 kg of drugs and 40,000 litres of liquid narcotics.

 

Though the numbers have slightly reduced since then, authorities believe drug smuggling continues in more secretive ways.

 

Arrests have also gone up. In 2018, 1,460 people were arrested, and the number rose to 3,453 in 2022 — the highest in five years. This shows both the seriousness of the problem and the increased efforts by the police.

 

Police and government teams have also destroyed illegal poppy and cannabis farms. In 2023, over 900 acres of cannabis were destroyed.

 

In 2024, nearly 1,000 acres were cleared. Poppy fields are also being destroyed again after a drop in action in previous years.

 

The government is also working to help people suffering from addiction. Since 2020, more than 83,000 people have been treated and discharged from de-addiction centres. The Drug Treatment Clinic at IMHANS Kashmir has treated around 9,400 patients since 2021.

 

The government said that at least 17 suicides in the region since 2018 were linked to drug or alcohol abuse.

India