Coordinated war required against drugs

The second UT-level Joint Coordination Committee meeting on narcotics control for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh comes at a time when the drug menace demands a far more coordinated and sustained response. The participation of the police, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, BSF, Customs, DRI, NIA, Intelligence Bureau, Income Tax Department and other agencies reflects an important recognition, i.e. drug trafficking is no longer a problem that any single department can tackle effectively. The emerging threat requires authorities to move beyond routine seizures and arrests. Drug networks increasingly operate through sophisticated supply chains, interstate linkages, illicit cultivation and financial channels. Breaking these networks requires intelligence-led investigations, stronger information sharing and coordinated action against the money that sustains the trade. The emphasis on financial investigation is particularly important. Arresting couriers and recovering consignments may disrupt individual operations, but dismantling organised trafficking requires tracing illicit proceeds, identifying financiers and seizing assets generated through the narcotics trade. Greater use of intelligence and information-sharing mechanisms can help agencies identify networks before they expand. The proposed implementation of the Vision Document on Drug Control 2026-2029 and its network-centric approach should therefore translate into measurable action on the ground. Regular joint operations, better forensic and investigative capacity, faster prosecution and closer monitoring of vulnerable areas must form part of the strategy. At the same time, enforcement alone cannot address the social consequences of addiction. Prevention, rehabilitation, counselling and reintegration must complement policing. Families, schools, healthcare institutions, community organisations and local administrations also have a role in preventing young people from falling into addiction. The Whole-of-Government approach discussed at the meeting must consequently become more than an administrative slogan. Drug trafficking networks adapt quickly; the response must be faster, smarter and equally interconnected. J&K and Ladakh need sustained institutional coordination to ensure that traffickers are not merely arrested but their networks are identified, disrupted and dismantled.