Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday inaugurated a major anti-drug destruction drive at the 14th Assam Police Battalion headquarters in Daulashal, Nalbari, marking the beginning of the disposal of narcotic substances worth ₹472.51 crore seized during anti-drug operations across the state.
The programme was attended by Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah and Barkhetri MLA Narayan Deka. The Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed the initiative, with senior party spokesperson Brajen Mahanta describing the campaign as a strong step towards eliminating the drug menace from the state.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said Assam Police seizes narcotic substances worth more than ₹1,000 crore every year and has been carrying out sustained operations against drug trafficking networks. He asserted that the anti-narcotics campaign would be intensified further to dismantle the drug trade operating in and through the state.
Dr. Sarma said a specialised drug incineration machine provided by the Government of India has already been installed at Daulashal, where the seized contraband will be destroyed over the next ten days. The narcotics slated for destruction include large quantities of heroin, cannabis, cough syrup, methamphetamine, Yaba tablets, opium, morphine, cocaine, opium plants and poppy straw.
According to the Chief Minister, the total consignment includes 58.88 kilograms of heroin valued at around ₹118 crore, over 37,796 kilograms of cannabis worth ₹189 crore, nearly 2.29 lakh bottles of cough syrup valued at ₹23 crore, more than 4.96 lakh tablets and capsules worth ₹20 crore, 79.77 kilograms of opium worth ₹4 crore, 39.07 kilograms of morphine worth ₹40 crore, over 18.7 lakh methamphetamine or Yaba tablets worth ₹75 crore, 3.2 kilograms of methamphetamine valued at ₹5 crore, 0.05 kilograms of cocaine worth ₹24 crore, besides opium plants and poppy straw valued at about ₹4.5 crore.
Highlighting the state’s anti-drug efforts, the Chief Minister said that over the past five years, Assam Police has registered around 3,300 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and seized narcotics valued at more than ₹3,227 crore.
He also credited Union Home Minister Amit Shah for strengthening inter-state coordination in the fight against drug trafficking, saying a robust mechanism has been established to facilitate joint action among different states. Dr. Sarma further claimed that following the formation of a BJP government in West Bengal, the use of Assam as a transit corridor by drug traffickers has declined.
Reaffirming the state government’s commitment to making Assam drug-free, the Chief Minister warned that the strictest legal action would continue against all those involved in the illegal narcotics trade and said the campaign against drugs would remain one of the government’s highest priorities.
