SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir recorded 3,453 arrests under narcotics-related cases in 2022, the highest figure reported in the Union territory during 2020-24, while 2,214 people were arrested in 2024, according to data placed by the Union Government in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
The data provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs showed that JK recorded 1,564 arrests in 2020, 2,355 in 2021, 3,453 in 2022, 3,247 in 2023 and 2,214 in 2024. The number of convictions rose from 19 in 2020 to 282 in 2024, with 41 convictions in 2021, 115 in 2022 and 237 in 2023.
In Ladakh, arrests increased from four in 2020 to 29 in 2024, while convictions stood at zero in 2020 and 2021, 11 in 2022, three in 2023 and 19 in 2024.
The Ministry said JK recorded 4,977.21 kg of narcotics seizures in 2024, along with 134,699 seizures recorded by number and 552.8 litres. In Ladakh, 15.886 kg of narcotics were seized during the year. The 2024 data placed JK’s kilogram-based seizures below the all-India total of 942,571.125 kg.
Over the five-year period, JK’s seizures by weight declined from 27,361.353 kg in 2020 to 22,082.414 kg in 2021, 17,192.409 kg in 2022, 11,358.528 kg in 2023 and 4,977.21 kg in 2024. Ladakh reported no kilogram-based seizures in 2020 and recorded 403.078 kg in 2021, 0.735 kg in 2022, 72.768 kg in 2023 and 15.886 kg in 2024.
Responding to Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1192 on cross-border narcotics trafficking and border security, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said cross-border drug trafficking remained a significant challenge for India. He said the North-Eastern states were particularly vulnerable because of their proximity to the Golden Triangle and porous borders with Myanmar.
The Ministry reported that Drug Law Enforcement Agencies had seized 4,626 kg of Amphetamine Type Stimulants and 2,652 kg of heroin in the North-Eastern region between 2021 and 2025.
The Centre said the Free Movement Regime along vulnerable border stretches had facilitated drug trafficking in the North-East. Trafficking networks were also changing their methods by concealing narcotics in legitimate trade and passenger movements, using local receiver networks and shifting routes to evade enforcement agencies.
The Ministry said the North-Eastern trafficking pattern had also changed, with a marked rise in methamphetamine, including Crystal Meth and YABA, originating from Myanmar, particularly through Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland. Heroin trafficking continued, while precursor chemicals were reportedly being smuggled from different parts of India to Myanmar for the illicit manufacture of synthetic drugs.
According to the Ministry, traffickers were exploiting porous and unfenced sections of the India-Myanmar border, forest routes, foot tracks and hilly terrain. Narcotics were also being concealed in cargo, passenger vehicles and goods carriers, while courier and parcel networks, social media and encrypted communication platforms were increasingly being used. The Moreh-Tamu border remained a major transit route for heroin and methamphetamine originating from Myanmar.
The Ministry said the latest state and Union territory-wise figures on seizures, arrests and convictions were based on National Crime Records Bureau data for 2024, covering the period from 2020 to 2024.
At the national level, 131,409 people were arrested and 57,382 convicted in narcotics-related cases in 2024, compared with 83,719 arrests and 16,117 convictions in 2020. The number of arrests peaked at 151,787 in 2023, while convictions reached 57,382 in 2024, the highest in the five-year dataset.
To strengthen enforcement, the Centre said it had released the Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-2029) on June 26, 2026, focusing on enforcement and intelligence operations, control of precursors and synthetic drugs, demand reduction and harm reduction, and capacity building and coordination.
The Ministry also cited the four-tier Narco-Coordination Centre mechanism, regular Joint Coordination Committee meetings and dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Forces in every state and Union territory. It said the Narcotics Control Bureau was coordinating with agencies including the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Border Security Force and state ANTFs for joint operations.
The Centre further said NCB zonal units had been established in key border areas including Srinagar, Siliguri, Agartala and Itanagar, while six new zonal offices had been approved, including four in the North-East at Dimapur, Aizawl, Shillong and Gangtok.
The Government said border security measures included the deployment of advanced anti-drone systems along vulnerable stretches, enhanced surveillance equipment such as CCTV cameras, PTZ cameras and night-vision devices, along with new-design fencing and border floodlights.
