Directorate of Revenue Intelligence Seizes Over 845 Kilograms of Illicit Drugs and Arrests 15 in Nationwide Crackdown
Distilled Policy Brief
- The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) conducted coordinated intelligence-based operations across multiple locations, seizing over 845 kilograms of illicit drugs including ganja, charas, cocaine, and amphetamines.
- A total of 15 individuals were arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, highlighting efforts to dismantle organized drug trafficking networks.
- Operations spanned across railway stations, highway toll plazas (such as in Bodh Gaya), and international airports (including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Calicut), uncovering novel concealment methods.
🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 is the primary statutory framework empowering agencies like the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) under the Ministry of Finance to curb illicit drug trafficking in India.
⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages
Examine the challenges posed by transnational and domestic organized drug syndicates to India's internal security and evaluate the enforcement mechanisms under the NDPS Act in intercepting supply chains.
🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill
With reference to the recent operations conducted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) against illicit drug trafficking, consider the following statements: 1. The operations resulted in the seizure of over 845 kilograms of restricted drugs including ganja, charas, cocaine, and amphetamines. 2. The arrests and seizures were executed under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. 3. The operations were restricted solely to international airports and did not involve domestic railway networks or highway toll plazas. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- [A] 1 only
- [B] 1 and 2 only
- [C] 2 and 3 only
- [D] 1, 2 and 3
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
Statement 1 and 2 are correct as the DRI conducted coordinated intelligence-based operations seizing over 845 kg of illicit drugs and arrested individuals under the NDPS Act, 1985. Statement 3 is incorrect because the operations spanned across multiple locations, including railway stations (such as Gorakhpur), highway toll plazas (such as in Bodh Gaya), as well as international airports.
🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)
Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.