anti-drug campaign
Representative image

All the eight north-eastern states have upped their ante against the growing menace of drug abuse in the region.

The region, bordering China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan has lately turned into a corridor for drug smuggling.

As such the law enforcing authorities of the eight north-eastern states on Tuesday decided to intensify their efforts to curb the drug menace.

Police chiefs of all the north-eastern states held a meeting in Agartala in this regard on Tuesday.

Senior IPS officer Rakesh Asthana, Director General of the Narcotics Control Bureau, presided over the day-long meeting.

Senior officials of the Border Security Force (BSF), Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force, intelligence agencies and other law enforcing agencies also attended the meeting.

It is learnt that the meeting decided to intensify coordinated efforts among the law enforcing agencies of the north-eastern states to curb the menace of substance abuse.

The meeting also decided to share information and intelligence inputs related to drug smuggling across the border among various security and intelligence agencies.

Notably, the India-Myanmar border with Mizoram and Manipur was the main transit route for smuggling of yaba tablets and other drugs.

After coming to power in March last year, the BJP-led government has launched a crusade against drug menace in Tripura.

The security agencies comprising state and central para-military forces, along with the district administrations, launched a war against the cultivation, trade and smuggling of drugs, especially cannabis.

Various security agencies have seized huge quantities of numerous drugs valued at around Rs 75 crore in the last 21 months.

The drugs include dry cannabis (ganja), ganja plants, various types of cough syrups that serve as intoxicants, Yaba tablets, brown sugar and heroin.