New Delhi: Between 2020 and 2024, there have been 19 cases of drug haul at ports with 10 of them taking place in 2022 while the largest confiscation took place at Adani port the year before, the Lok Sabha was informed Tuesday.
While one such case was registered in 2020, four cases involving confiscation of drugs in ports were reported in 2021. In 2023 and 2024, the number of such cases stands at one and three, respectively.
The confiscated drugs include cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and tramadol tablets, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in its response to queries of Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi.
Among these 19 cases, the largest drug haul valued at Rs 5,976 crore took place at Adani port in Gujarat’s Mundra, in 2021. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had seized 2,988 kg of heroin at that time.
Next in the list is the confiscation of 303 kg of cocaine worth Rs 1,515 crore at the V. O. Chidambaranar Port in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin in 2021
Other major drug hauls include 191 kg of heroin seized from Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port in 2020 (Rs 382 crore).
In 2021, apart from the confiscations at Mundra and VOC ports, heroin was seized twice (294 kg and 25 kg) from the Jawaharlal Nehru Port, or JNPT.
Ten cases were reported in 2022 at the CFS Gandhidham, Gujarat, Pipavav Port, Gujarat, CFS in Raigarh, Adani port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, in Mumbai and the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata.
Out of these, the highest number of cases (four) took place in JNPT, Mumbai.
In 2024, tramadol tablets and injections were twice seized from CFS, Mundra and once from Kolkata’s Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port.
Steps taken
“The seizures at major ports is the result of the effective measures taken in the field of controlling drug trafficking and highlighting the successful coordination between State and Central Law Enforcement Agencies, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and security forces such as the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy,” Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home Affairs, said.
The MHA also stated that there is constant vigil at ports by multiple central and state agencies including Customs, DRI, NCB, Navy, Coast Guard.
Moreover, the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) in coordination with sister agencies has prepared an Standard Operating Procedure on maritime security coordination for anti-smuggling operations in maritime zones to enhance inter-agency, interdepartmental and inter-ministerial coordination in planning anti smuggling operations.
The MHA further said that regular inspections are also carried out by the port authorities. The Coast Guard, it said, is providing training to officials of the NCB and port authorities in terms of detecting smuggled contrabands.
Anti-narcotics task forces in every state and union territory have also been established, it added.
(Edited by Tony Rai)