Gujarat authorities on Monday, 20 July destroyed narcotic substances worth ₹2,153 crore seized across 867 cases in the state, as Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi declared that sustained police action had broken the backbone of international drug smuggling networks. The destruction exercise, conducted at Enviro Infrastructure Limited's facility in Dahej, Bharuch district, is among the largest single drug-disposal operations carried out under Gujarat's ongoing anti-narcotics campaign.

Scale of the Operation

The destroyed stock comprised 13,249.127 kg of narcotic substances and 5,71,028 bottles seized by 24 investigative units across Gujarat. The contraband was disposed of in an environmentally safe manner under the Centre's 'Drug-Free India' campaign and its zero-tolerance policy on narcotics.

Sanghavi, accompanied by members of the Drug Disposal Committee, personally inspected the seized contraband before destruction. From Dahej, he also virtually launched a parallel destruction programme at Lakadia village in Bhachau taluka, Kutch district.

Agencies Involved

The seizures covered in Monday's disposal were made by police units spanning Bharuch, Narmada, Surat Rural, Surat City, Navsari, Tapi-Vyara, Dahod, Chhota Udepur, Panchmahal, Dang-Ahwa, Valsad, Vadodara Rural, Vadodara City, Anand, Kheda-Nadiad, Ahmedabad Rural, Ahmedabad City, Gandhinagar, Mehsana and Sabarkantha. Also contributing were the Western Railway Police in Vadodara and Ahmedabad, the CID Crime Branch, and the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS).

What the Government Said

Addressing the event, Sanghavi called drugs 'the biggest social evil' confronting society and credited Gujarat Police for dismantling smuggling routes along maritime corridors, the India-Pakistan border, and inter-state networks.

'Gujarat Police have taken strong action against drug mafias and cartels, breaking the backbone of international drug smuggling networks. For the past one and a half years, this campaign has been fought like a war, resulting in the seizure of drugs worth thousands of crores of rupees,' Sanghavi said.

He noted that Gujarat's conviction rate in narcotics cases stands at around 65 per cent and said the government was working to raise it further, promising 'the strictest possible legal action' to close loopholes for those linked to drug networks.

NDPS Handbook and Rehabilitation Efforts

At Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) in Dahej, Sanghavi released the 'NDPS Handbook', prepared by the Gujarat Police Anti-Narcotics Task Force to guide investigating officers on handling cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The event also featured an awareness video on the 'Drug-Free Gujarat' campaign, survivor testimonies from rehabilitated addicts, and a presentation on anti-drug initiatives.

Sanghavi highlighted that intelligence gathered during investigations was being used to identify young people affected by addiction, enabling counselling and family support. He appealed for public participation, stating that a drug-free state could only be achieved if 'citizens and social organisations joined the police in combating narcotics.'

Police Rewarded for Anti-Drug Work

During the event, the state government honoured 278 police personnel for their contributions to 21 major narcotics cases under its 'Drugs Reward Policy', distributing a total reward of ₹59.42 lakh. The recognition signals the government's intent to sustain operational momentum as it targets higher conviction rates and deeper dismantling of drug supply chains in the months ahead.