India’s Home Minister Amit Shah cracks down on Crypto for Drug Menace

India continues to deal with the menace of drug smuggling and other cyber crimes, facilitated by cryptocurrencies, as observed by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a recent event on last Saturday. Addressing a conference on ‘Drug Trafficking and National Security’ held in New Delhi, Shah said that dark web, cryptocurrency, online marketplace and drones continue as a major problem for the country and must be checked by tough government measures.

Shah said that a proper scientific solution to these problems can be addressed through a joint effort by the states, the central government, and technocrats for the country’s security and development. The Indian government has time and again viewed cryptocurrencies as a medium to facilitating drug smuggling and other nefarious activities. India has not banned crypto but it doesn’t recognize it as legal tender.

As per the MHA report 2024, the Indian police have taken various pro-active steps to train its officers on cryptocurrencies in order to thwart rising incidents of cyber crime in India. Additionally, MHA has conducted short-term training programs for foreign Police Officers on various subjects, such as Cybercrime Investigation, Counterterrorism, Dark Web and Cryptocurrency, Tactics, Mobile Forensics, economic offences, Explosives, Improvised Explosive Devices and Post-Blast Procedures, urban operations, open-source intelligence, and Social Media Analysis. 

Further addressing his government’s resolve against drug smuggling, Shah said that the united fight against drugs has seen positive impact.

Home Minister said that in the year 2024, by seizing drugs worth Rs 16,914 crore, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and police across the country took the biggest action against drugs, which is a significant step in making a drug-free society. 

As reported by The Press Trust Of India , The conference was organized by the NCB, which aimed to address the growing concern of drug trafficking and its impact on national security, with a special focus on eight states and Union Territories of northern India. 

The main focus of the conference was on the sharing of real-time information from the National Narcotics Helpline ‘MANAS’ portal with the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of states and UTs, evaluating the progress of states in combating drug trafficking, and assessing the effectiveness of the Narcotics Coordination Mechanism (NCORD). 

The conference was attended by governors, lieutenant governors, chief ministers and senior officers from the eight participating states and UTs. Senior officers from various central ministries, departments, and law enforcement agencies also attended the conference.