Drug Trafficking • NDPS Act • Punjab Border Crisis • Golden Crescent

Punjab’s Drug Crisis Deepens: State Urges ₹600 Crore for Special NDPS Courts

Punjab is grappling with an escalating drug crisis, intensified by its proximity to the infamous Golden Crescent and a 552 km porous border with Pakistan. To address the surge in narcotics-related offences, the Punjab government has sought one-time central assistance of ₹600 crore to establish 79 special NDPS courts, aiming to fast-track over 35,000 pending drug cases.

⚖️ Understanding NDPS Courts and Their Importance

• NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) courts are specialised judicial bodies under the NDPS Act of 1985.
• Designed to expedite trials related to narcotic offences, these courts are key to preventing delays that undermine legal action.
• In Punjab, average case resolution takes 7 years, with projections warning of 11-year delays if courts aren’t expanded.

📊 Backlog and Urgent Need for Judicial Expansion

• As of January 2025, Punjab has 35,000 pending NDPS cases.
• The state proposes 79 new courts, demanding ₹60 crore annually for 10 years to hire public prosecutors, court staff, and build infrastructure.
• The Punjab & Haryana High Court and the Law Commission (1997) have long stressed the need for special NDPS courts.

🧭 Geographical Hotspot for Smuggling

• Punjab’s vulnerable border with Pakistan includes unfenced patches exploited by traffickers.
• Drone-based drug deliveries have become frequent, with increased interceptions in recent years.
• Proximity to the Golden Crescent—a tri-junction of Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan—puts Punjab directly in a transit corridor for heroin and hashish.

🌀 What is the Golden Crescent?

• One of Asia’s largest illicit opium-producing zones.
• Afghanistan is the primary producer; Iran serves as a transit and consumer nation.
• Narcotics trade here fuels terrorist networks and insurgencies, involving:
  • Baloch separatists
  • Quetta Shura Taliban
  • Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps
• Indian states Punjab, J&K, Rajasthan, Gujarat lie along key trafficking routes.

🚨 Punjab’s Anti-Drug Measures: A Snapshot

• Since 2022, Punjab has:
  • Registered 31,500+ NDPS cases
  • Arrested 43,000+ individuals
  • Seized significant narcotics
  • Frozen assets worth ₹449 crore
  • Created a comprehensive drug crime database

🛑 Way Forward: Strengthening Enforcement and Rehabilitation

The ₹600 crore assistance is envisioned to build an effective legal infrastructure and intensify the fight against narcotics. Alongside prosecution, Punjab is advocating for de-addiction programs, border surveillance upgrades, and public awareness campaigns—aiming to curb a crisis that threatens its future generations.