Director General of Police (DGP) Rupin Sharma said Nagaland has an estimated 1.2 lakh drug users, with most addicted to heroin and sunflower. He was speaking at the observation of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking held at Hotel Japfü, Kohima on Thursday.
The programme was jointly organised by the Social Welfare Department, Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS), and Kripa Foundation.
DGP admitted that despite efforts, the state was “losing the battle” against drug abuse and trafficking. He estimated that if a third of the drug users consumed half a gram of drugs daily, Nagaland’s annual drug consumption could be around 7,000 kg. “This translates to nearly 5 lakh soap cases per annum, but annual seizures don’t exceed 10,000 soap cases,” he said.
Expressing concern over the easy availability of drugs, Rupin called for stronger structural response and accountability at all levels. He said that while Nagaland has an Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and district-level teams, their performance remained unsatisfactory. New guidelines, he said, have been issued that include outreach in schools and assessments of district rehab, de-addiction and opioid substitution centres.
The DGP further said officers including OCs, SDPOs, and SPs were not doing enough and encouraged better coordination among all stakeholders. “If the DG can interrogate people and find links, others must do the same,” he said.
He highlighted the lack of coordination in tackling drug supply chains, and said government agencies, NGOs, churches, and rehab centres need to share critical information. He urged formal reporting of drug seizures instead of informal handling by groups or organisations, to prevent diversion and strengthen legal action.
He also called for psychological and medical-legal counselling in addition to religious counselling, stressing that the former was lacking in Nagaland.
Raising concern over drug involvement by some student unions, village councils, and youth leaders, he said not all were involved, but the actions of “black sheep” added to the challenge.
He called for collective action to plug existing gaps and urged all to support police efforts by sharing information without fear. He also underlined the need for more trained counsellors and a uniform public awareness campaign reaching villages and churches.
The programme began with a welcome address by Bendang Imsong, SLCA coordinator, Kripa Foundation. Mohammed Ali Shihab, Commissioner & Secretary, Social Welfare, delivered the keynote address.
Short speeches were delivered by Dr. Villo Naleo, Secretary Social Concerns NBCC, and Abou Mere, director, Kripa Foundation. Vote of thanks was pronounced by director of Social Welfare, Tosheli Zhimomi.
270 NDPS cases registered in state: SP Narcotics
SP Narcotics, Kohima, Shinde Suresh Kailasrao, informed that Nagaland Police registered 270 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and arrested 465 individuals over the past one and a half years. Most of the drug seizures, including heroin and ganja, were made along the Dimapur–Imphal highway.
He was speaking at a press conference organised by Press Information Bureau (PIB) Kohima, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, at the Kohima Press Club on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26.
Shinde said Nagaland, with a 215-km porous border with Myanmar and its proximity to the Golden Triangle, has become a transit point for drug trafficking. He said traffickers often change routes, which makes enforcement more difficult.
The SP added that with the launch of the War Against Drugs campaign by the state government, coordination between police, district administration, and various departments has improved. He said awareness programmes were also being conducted in schools. Highlighting this year’s theme, “Break the Cycle,” he appealed to the public to share information with the police, assuring confidentiality of identities.
Also speaking at the event, joint director (Prevention) of NSACS, Dr. Bernice D, said the fight against drug abuse requires joint efforts from government departments, civil society, and the media. She stated that the strategy must focus on supply reduction, demand reduction, and harm reduction, while addressing the biological, psychological, and socio-economic aspects of addiction.
She noted that HIV prevalence has dropped significantly in Nagaland over the past two decades but stressed the need to continue protecting drug users from infection.
Earlier, PIB assistant director K. Sonikumar Singh moderated the programme and gave an overview of the press interaction.