Cocaine seizure in India increased 3,479 per cent in 2021-22: DRI report

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A comparative year-wise trend of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) seizures have revealed a sharp increase in the number of seizures of the items in India.

In 2021-22, seizures of cocaine increased 3,479 per cent from 8.667 kg to 310.21 kg, an annual report produced by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) said on Monday. In 2019-20, the seizure was 1.108 kg.

For methamphetamine and heroin, the seizure increased by 1,281 per cent and 1,588 per cent to 884.69 kg and 3,410.71 kg, respectively, the report showed.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said cocaine has started coming into India and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence needs to figure out if the country is becoming a consuming country.

Sitharaman made the remarks while addressing the 65th Founding Day of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence here in the national capital today.

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"DRI should make sure that smugglers are not smarter than you. Each one of these (smuggling) cases, at the earliest point of time, must come to the conclusion," said Sitharaman.

She said arrest and prosecute the smugglers and the DRI must ensure that big handlers of such smuggling activities must face the law of the land.

"There is a need to work hard and catch those sending a mountain of drugs. There is a need for greater access to a bilateral agreement with foreign countries as technology has enabled us to do things which earlier was not possible," Sitharaman said.

The finance minister made a suggestion to the DRI. She said that DRI, CBIC and Revenue department may start a two-day-long meeting to see global cooperation.

"Start a workshop with the cooperation of Intelligence agencies for better cooperation, get actionable intelligence to crack the smugglers," she said.

Further, the DRI report showed the agency made a maximum number of seizures of ganja in Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Maharashtra.

DRI arrested about 131 persons during the financial year 2021-22 for offences committed under the NDPS Act, 1985.

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