Centre cites four-tier NCORD mechanism for coordination
|
Year |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
Total |
|
Seizures (kg) |
27,361.35 |
22,082.41 |
17,192.41 |
11,358.53 |
4,977.21 |
82,971.91 |
Table: J&K narcotics seizures, 2020-2024
Srinagar, Jul 29: Jammu and Kashmir saw the seizure of 82,971.91 kg of narcotics under the NDPS Act between 2020 and 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, as it pointed to a four-tier Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) mechanism set up to strengthen enforcement coordination between Central and State agencies.
The data was tabled in response to an unstarred question by MP Jebi Mather Hisham on cross-border narcotics trafficking and border security, with a focus on the North-Eastern states. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai gave the reply, citing National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2020-2024.
Year-wise, seizures in J&K stood at 27,361.35 kg in 2020, 22,082.41 kg in 2021, 17,192.41 kg in 2022, 11,358.53 kg in 2023, and 4,977.21 kg in 2024, marking a consistent year-on-year decline over the period.
The NCORD mechanism
To explain how enforcement is coordinated on the ground, the ministry detailed the structure of the NCORD mechanism, which it said operates at four levels. At the top, an Apex Committee and an Executive Committee meet at the Centre. Below this, State-level NCORD meetings are chaired by the Chief Secretary on a quarterly basis, while District-level NCORD meetings are held monthly under the District Magistrate to review enforcement, intelligence sharing and preventive measures.
The ministry said a dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), headed by an Additional Director General or Inspector General rank police officer, has been set up in each State and UT to function as the NCORD Secretariat and follow up on decisions taken at the various NCORD levels. Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meetings, involving Central and State agencies, are also held regularly to discuss important narcotics cases.
North-East remains the bigger worry
While J&K’s numbers form part of the national NCRB dataset, the government’s answer devoted most attention to the North-Eastern states, which it said remain especially vulnerable to trafficking of Amphetamine Type Stimulants (ATS) and heroin owing to their location near the “Death Triangle” and porous borders with Myanmar. The ministry said 4,626 kg of ATS and 2,652 kg of heroin were seized nationally between 2021 and 2025 as reported by drug law enforcement agencies to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
The reply said trafficking patterns in the region have shifted, with a marked rise in Methamphetamine (Crystal Meth/YABA) smuggled from Myanmar through Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland, alongside continuing heroin trafficking. The Moreh Tamu border was flagged as a major transit point, with syndicates increasingly using forest routes, courier and parcel networks, and encrypted communication apps to coordinate deliveries.
Other measures announced
The government also cited a Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-2029), released on June 26, 2026, built around four focus areas: enforcement, precursor and synthetic drug control, demand and harm reduction, and capacity building. The NCB currently operates a Zonal Unit in Srinagar among its key border area offices, alongside Siliguri, Agartala and Itanagar. Six new zonal offices have been approved, four of them in North-Eastern states, namely Dimapur, Aizawl, Shillong and Gangtok. Other measures cited include anti-drone systems, enhanced CCTV and night vision surveillance, and new design border fencing along vulnerable stretches.
