NCB drug arrests decline, but convictions increase significantly

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has seen a decline in drug trafficking arrests over the past three years, while the number of convictions has increased. Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai shared this data during a parliamentary session. In 2022, the NCB made 768 arrests, which dropped to 574 in 2023. The following year, there were 588 arrests. So far in 2025, only 43 arrests have been reported. Despite fewer arrests, the rate of convictions has risen. There were 54 convictions in 2022, which nearly doubled to 104 in 2023, and reached 110 in 2024. The government aims to make India drug-free by 2047. To achieve this, it has set up a Narco-Coordination Centre, deployed anti-narcotics task forces across states, and increased international cooperation. Efforts also include enhancing the powers of border security forces and launching a National Narcotics Helpline. The NCB is working closely with various agencies like the Navy and Coast Guard to tackle drug trafficking. They are using electronic scanning at ports to detect drugs. The NCB also provides training to officials from other drug enforcement agencies to improve their skills. Additionally, a task force focusing on Darknet and Cryptocurrency has been formed. This group aims to monitor illegal activities, share information among agencies, and track trends in drug trafficking.