New Delhi, April 20 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday praised the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for securing punishment for 73 drug offenders in the first three months of 2026, an official said.â??

In a message on social media, HM Shah said, â??To protect our youth from the scourge of drugs, the Modi govt is ruthlessly demolishing drug cartels and is also ensuring their conviction.â??â??

â??Under this mission, the NCB has made a breakthrough in getting 73 drug offenders convicted in the first three months of 2026, with the harshest punishments. We are determined to shut every breathing space of drug rackets with all our might,â?? he said.â??

According to the Home Ministry, as many as 9.50 lakh searchable records of arrested and convicted persons under the NDPS Act are available on the centralised digital database, the National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco-Offenders (NIDAAN), to strengthen enforcement action.â??

Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, in a recent statement, said that NIDAAN, developed by the NCB in collaboration with the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS), integrates data of offenders arrested by all Drug Law Enforcement Agencies across the country, including information such as identity details, photographs, fingerprints, case particulars, and court-related information.â??

He said NIDAAN facilitates and assists investigating agencies in opposing bail, seeking bail cancellation, monitoring habitual offenders, and supporting the preparation of proposals under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act, 1988, thereby strengthening coordinated and proactive enforcement action.â??

Sharing details of the countryâ??s fight against drug trafficking networks, he said the government has approved a scheme for Modernisation of Forensic Capacities, under which Rs 420 crore has been approved for the component of Modernisation/Upgradation of Forensic Science Laboratories (FSLs) in States/Union Territories.â??

He said under the scheme â??Assistance to States; UTs for Narcotics Controlâ??, financial assistance is being provided to eligible States to strengthen enforcement capabilities to combat illicit trafficking in NDPS substances.â??

Rai also highlighted that the government has strengthened inter-ministerial and inter-agency coordination through the Narco-Coordination (NCORD) mechanism that provides a structured, institutionalised platform for coordination among Central Ministries, State Governments, and enforcement agencies for monitoring drug trafficking, precursor diversion, demand reduction, and rehabilitation, resulting in improved enforcement outcomes and intelligence-sharing.â??

So far, nine Apex NCORD meetings and six Executive NCORD meetings have been held to guide policy formulation, enhance inter-ministerial coordination, and review the overall narcotics control framework, he said.â??

At the operational level, 253 State NCORD meetings and 12,471 District NCORD meetings have been conducted across the country, the Union Minister added.â??

/IANS