Amit Shah calls for global war on drugs, says cross-border operations essential

THe search and analytic thinking backstage (R&AW) on fri held its yearly RN Kao Memorial Lecture, with Union home minister Amit Shah delivering the address on the theme ‘Narcotics: A Borderless Threat, A Collective Responsibility’.The lecture series was instituted in 2007 to honour the memory of R.N. Kao, the founder of R&AW.Speaking at the event, Shah said India had set a national goal to achieve a Drug Free India by 2047 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and that Indian security agencies had prepared a roadmap to eradicate drug syndicates. He affirmed that under India's "Zero Tolerance" policy on drugs, not a single gram of narcotics would be allowed to enter the country or pass through it as a transit route.Shah stressed that drug trafficking was not merely a law and order issue but one with lasting damage to society and future generations. He warned that drug abuse causes permanent harm to the human body, and that drug money fuels terrorist networks, criminal organisations, and a parallel economy. He cautioned that if nations did not act together now, the damage caused by drugs would be irreversible within a decade.The Home Minister called for a unified global legal framework to tackle the issue, arguing that inconsistencies in the designation of controlled substances and varying penalties for trafficking allowed drug cartels to exploit gaps in policy. He also emphasised the importance of real-time intelligence sharing to intercept narcotics shipments and detain drug kingpins, noting that India had successfully repatriated more than 40 transnational criminals in the last two years with support from friendly nations.Addressing ambassadors and diplomats from over 40 countries present at the event, Shah urged them to join India's efforts in the global fight against drugs. He said a world of 8 billion people, 195 nations, and 250,000 kilometres of international borders could not tackle the drug problem through fragmented approaches, and that collective resolve, coordinated action, and cross-border operations were essential.He added that the battle against drugs must rise above geopolitical differences, and called for uniform laws, standardised punishments, extradition of drug kingpins, and robust intelligence sharing among nations.The event was also attended by members of R.N. Kao's family, former Secretaries of R&AW, and officials from India's security establishment.