Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, JUN 26 (NPN): Director General of Police (DGP) Nagaland, Rupin Sharma, on Friday called for a united societal response to combat drug abuse and trafficking, urging families and communities to support rehabilitation of drug users while helping law enforcement dismantle trafficking networks by sharing credible information.
Addressing an online press conference organised by Nagaland Police ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, DGP Nagaland said the growing drug menace could not be tackled by law enforcement alone but required active participation from government agencies, educational institutions, civil society organisations, churches, village councils and the public.
State police chief said the Centre had launched the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (Drug-Free India Campaign) to strengthen coordinated action against drug abuse through a multi-level mechanism involving central, state and district authorities.
DGP informed that the actual number of drug users could be much higher than official estimates, making substance abuse one of the country’s most pressing public health and social challenges.
Appealing to families and communities to change their approach towards addiction, Sharma said drug users willing to undergo voluntary de-addiction and rehabilitation should be treated as victims rather than criminals.
He urged relatives, friends and well-wishers to encourage those struggling with addiction to seek treatment, adding that government-supported de-addiction and rehabilitation centres were available across Nagaland.
DGP said Nagaland police remained focused on dismantling drug trafficking networks while extending support to those genuinely seeking recovery. He appealed to drug users willing to reform to cooperate with police by sharing information about suppliers and traffickers, saying such cooperation would help law enforcement target the larger networks behind the illegal drug trade.
Expressing concern over the increasing involvement of young people in substance abuse, Sharma said peer influence often played a significant role in addiction and urged students not to remain silent if they knew friends abusing drugs.
DGP warned that addiction frequently pushed users into theft and other crimes to sustain their habit and appealed to young people to help friends seek treatment before it was too late.
Sharma also cautioned NGOs, village councils, student bodies and civil society organisations against taking the law into their own hands by imposing fines or privately settling drug-related cases.
Police chief said that such actions amounted to extortion and undermined the legal process. Instead, he urged the public to report suspected drug trafficking and related offences to the police.
He also warned pharmacies against the illegal sale of prescription medicines, including cough syrups and drugs such as Tramadol, stating that strict action would be taken against violators.
Highlighting the police’s enforcement efforts, Sharma said Nagaland Police registered 766 cases under the NDPS Act between 2023 and May 26, 2026, leading to the arrest of 958 men and 216 women.
During the period, police seized 2,293 kg ganja, 1,069 kg opium, 54 kg heroin, 70 kg brown sugar, 1.154 kg crystal meth, more than 78,000 Yaba tablets, nearly 3.89 lakh synthetic drug tablets and over 50,000 bottles of cough syrup.
Reiterating his appeal, Sharma urged citizens, particularly the youth, to support rehabilitation efforts, report drug traffickers and cooperate with law enforcement. He assured that the identities of informants would be kept confidential and that rewards would be provided for credible information leading to successful drug seizures.