New Delhi, May 15: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday called for a unified global strategy against narcotics trafficking, asserting that the fight against drugs must rise above geopolitical differences and national interests.
Shah was delivering the R.N. Kao Memorial Lecture-2026 organised by Research and Analysis Wing in honour of its founder Rameshwar Nath Kao.
Addressing the gathering on the theme “Narcotics: A Borderless Threat, A Collective Responsibility,” the Home Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has set a target of achieving a “Drug Free India” by 2047.
He said Indian security agencies have prepared a roadmap to dismantle drug syndicates and reaffirmed the government’s “zero tolerance” policy towards narcotics.
“Not one gram of narcotics will be allowed to enter India or leave the country using India as a transit route,” Shah said.
The Home Minister stated that drug trafficking was not merely a law-and-order issue but a serious threat affecting society, national security and future generations. He warned that drug money fuels terrorism, organised crime and parallel economies while drug abuse causes irreversible damage to human health.
Shah stressed the need for uniform international laws on controlled substances, standardised punishments for traffickers, extradition of drug kingpins and stronger intelligence sharing among countries.
Highlighting the importance of international cooperation, he said India had succeeded in bringing back over 40 transnational criminals during the past two years with the support of friendly nations.
He urged countries across the world to jointly combat narco networks and narco-terrorism through coordinated action, real-time intelligence sharing and cross-border operations.
The event was attended by members of R.N. Kao’s family, former R&AW chiefs, diplomats from over 40 countries and senior officials from India’s security establishment.
