New Delhi, April 20 (NationPress) Union Home Minister Amit Shah commended the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for attaining convictions for 73 drug offenders within the initial three months of 2026, according to an official statement.

In a social media post, HM Shah stated, "To safeguard our youth from the menace of drugs, the Modi government is vigorously dismantling drug cartels and ensuring their prosecution."

“As part of this initiative, the NCB has successfully secured the conviction of 73 drug offenders in the first quarter of 2026, meting out the most severe penalties. We are resolute in our aim to eliminate any operational space for drug syndicates,” he mentioned.

Per the Home Ministry, approximately 9.50 lakh searchable records of arrested and convicted individuals under the NDPS Act are now accessible via the centralized digital database, known as the National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco-Offenders (NIDAAN), aimed at bolstering enforcement efforts.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai recently remarked that NIDAAN, created by the NCB in partnership with the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS), consolidates data of offenders apprehended by all Drug Law Enforcement Agencies nationwide, including details such as identification, photographs, fingerprints, case specifics, and court-related data.

He added that NIDAAN aids investigating bodies in contesting bail, seeking bail revocation, monitoring repeat offenders, and supporting proposals under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act of 1988, thereby enhancing coordinated and proactive enforcement actions.

Elaborating on the nation’s efforts against drug trafficking networks, he stated that the government has endorsed a scheme for the Modernization of Forensic Capacities, with an allocation of Rs 420 crore designated for upgrading Forensic Science Laboratories (FSLs) in States and Union Territories.

Under the scheme “Assistance to States; UTs for Narcotics Control,” financial support is extended to qualifying States to bolster their enforcement capabilities against illicit trafficking in NDPS substances.

Rai further emphasized that the government has enhanced inter-ministerial and inter-agency collaboration through the Narco-Coordination (NCORD) framework, which establishes a structured platform for cooperation among Central Ministries, State Governments, and enforcement agencies in monitoring drug trafficking, precursor diversion, demand reduction, and rehabilitation. This has led to improved enforcement results and intelligence-sharing.

To date, nine Apex NCORD meetings and six Executive NCORD meetings have been convened to direct policy development, fortify inter-ministerial coordination, and assess the overall narcotics control strategy, he noted.

At the operational level, 253 State NCORD meetings and 12,471 District NCORD meetings have been held across the nation, the Union Minister added.