After Aryan misstep: NCB chief asks all units to chase only big rings

After Aryan misstep: NCB chief asks all units to chase only big rings
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New Delhi

After a botched raid and untenable charges by former zonal director Sameer Wankhede in the Cordelia cruise case based on small quantities of illicit drugs, which has dented the image of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the agency’s chief SN Pradhan has directed all units to focus on cases involving major narcotic networks instead of targeting consumers.

Asking NCB officers to concentrate on organised terror networks, international mafia and narco-terrorism, Pradhan said the agency should not waste its resources and time on cases involving possession of small quantities of drugs, which can be handled by local police.

“I have given clear instructions that only big cases, involving organised syndicates and international links, will be investigated by the NCB,” Pradhan said. “It is not our job to investigate every small drug case. We have limited resources and time. The local police can pursue such cases.”

Pradhan’s directive is in line with the original mandate of the anti-drug enforcement agency, according to which it is supposed to probe larger conspiracy cases, analyse drugs seizure data, study trends, modus operandi of traffickers, collect and disseminate intelligence, work in close coordination with customs and state police, and help the government in formulating its anti-narcotics policy from time to time.

As seen in the case of Aryan Khan, who was cleared of all charges by a special investigation team on Friday, recovery of six grams hashish from his friend Arbaaz Merchant and WhatsApp chats were used to charge the son of movie star Shah Rukh Khan for consumption and possession of drugs.

In fact, from the 20 arrested people who were part of seven groups with no connection with each other, drugs in small quantities, ranging from 5 grams of mephedrone, 10 grams of cocaine and 15 ecstasy pills were recovered.

The central drugs enforcement agency was formed in March 1986 as per a provision of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Besides implementing obligations pertaining to countermeasures against illicit trafficking under various international conventions, the bureau also assists overseas agencies to prevent smuggling and coordinates with the Union health ministry and other departments and organisations in matters of drug abuse.

It is India’s nodal agency for sharing real time information with drug liaison officers of the Drug Enforcement Agency of the US, National Crime Agency of the UK, and officers in Canada, Australia, France and other countries.

“Although we have powers under NDPS Act, with the strength of 1,200 odd personnel, we cannot chase every drug case on the streets,” an officer of the bureau said, asking not to be named. “Police, excise, revenue and customs officials, all of whom also have similar powers under the NDPS Act, should ideally follow street peddling.”

“Technically, our officers shouldn’t even consider chasing leads where small quantities are going to be consumed or sold,” he said. “For us, bigger worry is Pakistan and Afghanistan based terror networks trying to infuse large quantities of heroin in India with the purpose to destabilise the country. The recovery of 3,000kg of heroin worth ₹21,000 crore at Mundra port in September 2021 is one such example.”

The federal agency is also leading the apex level Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD), where it coordinates with all the drug law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders, and provides a common platform for discussions on drug-trafficking related issue. In December last year, home minister Amit Shah asked NCORD to put in an effective system to put a stop on the increasing use of dark net and cryptocurrency in the illicit drugs trade.

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