Narcotic Drug Seizure Declines 22% To 1,087 Tonnes In 2024

New Delhi: Narcotic drug seizures have declined by about 22 per cent year-on-year to over 1,087 tonnes in 2024, government data showed. In 2024, 1,087 tonnes of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances (NDPS) worth Rs16,966 crores were seized in 72,496 cases across the country. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) authorities had seized 1,389 tonnes of NDPS worth Rs16,123 crore in over 1.09 lakh cases in 2023.

To curb the smuggling of narcotics, the Customs Department is keeping a watch over international passenger traffic, porous borders, and commercial cargo coming into the country, CBIC Chairman Sanjay Kumar Agarwal told media. “We keep on making the cases but the border is porous. We are able to catch (smugglers) but still a lot may be coming which may go unnoticed,” Agarwal said, without disclosing the quantum of seizures.