Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announced an intensified five-year anti-drug crackdown, launching a statewide narcotics disposal campaign. Assam Police began destroying seized drugs worth Rs 472.51 crore while strengthening intelligence, technology, and interstate coordination to curb drug trafficking.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday announced that the state government will significantly intensify its campaign against drug trafficking over the next five years, reaffirming its commitment to dismantling narcotics networks and ensuring that Assam no longer serves as a transit corridor for illegal drugs entering India.
Launching the state-wide Drugs Disposal Campaign at the 14th Assam Police Battalion campus at Doulashal in Nalbari district, the Chief Minister declared that the fight against narcotics would become even more aggressive through stricter enforcement, advanced technology, stronger intelligence gathering, and closer coordination with neighbouring states.
Addressing officials, police personnel and members of the public, Sarma appealed to citizens to actively support the government’s anti-drug mission, stating that eliminating drug trafficking requires collective participation alongside law enforcement efforts.
As part of the campaign, Assam Police commenced the destruction of narcotic substances valued at Rs 472.51 crore, seized during various anti-drug operations conducted across the state. The seized contraband includes heroin, ganja, methamphetamine and Yaba tablets, morphine, opium, cough syrup, tablets, capsules and several other banned substances confiscated over the past few years.
The Chief Minister inaugurated a specially designed secure drug disposal machine, installed with financial assistance from the Central Government. To formally launch the disposal process, Sarma crushed seized narcotics using a road roller before the substances were processed through the specialised destruction system.
Officials said similar drug disposal drives are being conducted simultaneously in every district of Assam, marking one of the largest coordinated destruction campaigns undertaken by the state.
According to the Chief Minister, the disposal exercise is expected to continue for approximately 10 days, with the newly installed disposal machine being used for the first time in Assam. The specialised equipment has been introduced to ensure environmentally safe and secure destruction of narcotic substances.
Official figures reveal that the disposal operation includes 58.88 kilograms of heroin, nearly 38,000 kilograms of ganja, approximately 2.29 lakh bottles of cough syrup, 39 kilograms of morphine, around 18.71 lakh methamphetamine and Yaba tablets, and nearly 4.97 lakh tablets and capsules, among other prohibited substances.
Highlighting the state’s achievements in combating narcotics, Sarma said Assam Police has registered around 3,300 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act over the last five years. During this period, law enforcement agencies seized narcotics estimated to be worth Rs 3,227 crore, reflecting the scale of the anti-drug operations carried out across the state.
Describing Assam as a major transit route for heroin, methamphetamine and Yaba tablets smuggled from Myanmar to different parts of India, the Chief Minister stressed that sustained efforts are necessary to permanently dismantle trafficking networks.
He said future strategies would focus on strengthening intelligence-sharing mechanisms, expanding the use of modern surveillance technologies, improving border monitoring and enhancing cooperation among enforcement agencies.
Sarma further emphasised that coordinated action involving Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and West Bengal, along with stringent legal action against offenders, could significantly weaken cross-border drug trafficking networks and prevent Assam from being used as a gateway for narcotics.
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Reaffirming the government’s resolve, the Chief Minister said the intensified five-year campaign would prioritise prevention, enforcement and public participation to safeguard Assam’s youth and strengthen the state’s fight against the growing menace of drug trafficking.
