NEW DELHI: As part of its crackdown on narco-smuggling, govt on Thursday announced a switch to a “duty-to-share” protocol to make agencies exchange crucial information on drug trafficking.
Union home minister Amit Shah emphasised that profits generated from narco-smuggling mark the “most serious security threat” as he called for a rigorous review of financial investigations into drug cartels at the state level and advocated establishment of joint coordination committees in states to ensure the involvement of central agencies and finance ministry.
The agencies involved in the anti-drug trafficking effort have so far worked on “need-to-know” principle: a scheme where one agency could use its discrimination to determine what and how much to share with others and which carried the risk of important information remaining siloed, allowing the nimble footed and shrewd traffickers room to peddle the contraband.
Addressing the meeting of Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) in Delhi, Shah said, “Our agencies have traditionally adhered to a need-to-know policy. However, it is imperative that we now transition to a duty-to-share approach. We must ensure that anti-drug initiatives permeate every unit at the state and district levels, thereby accelerating their implementation.” He called upon central agencies to initiate suo moto cases to dismantle international narco-cartels. “We must also ensure that not a single gram of drugs enters Bharat or is transported to other countries via Bharat,” he asserted, emphasising that profits from trafficking are used to fund terrorism against the country.
Union home minister Amit Shah emphasised that profits generated from narco-smuggling mark the “most serious security threat” as he called for a rigorous review of financial investigations into drug cartels at the state level and advocated establishment of joint coordination committees in states to ensure the involvement of central agencies and finance ministry.
The agencies involved in the anti-drug trafficking effort have so far worked on “need-to-know” principle: a scheme where one agency could use its discrimination to determine what and how much to share with others and which carried the risk of important information remaining siloed, allowing the nimble footed and shrewd traffickers room to peddle the contraband.
Addressing the meeting of Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) in Delhi, Shah said, “Our agencies have traditionally adhered to a need-to-know policy. However, it is imperative that we now transition to a duty-to-share approach. We must ensure that anti-drug initiatives permeate every unit at the state and district levels, thereby accelerating their implementation.” He called upon central agencies to initiate suo moto cases to dismantle international narco-cartels. “We must also ensure that not a single gram of drugs enters Bharat or is transported to other countries via Bharat,” he asserted, emphasising that profits from trafficking are used to fund terrorism against the country.