Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 5: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) convened a state-level inter-agency meeting in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to strengthen coordination against emerging narcotics threats, with officials examining trafficking methods, financial investigations and intelligence sharing.
The quarterly Joint Coordination Committee meeting for the Union Territory was held on September 1 in Sri Vijaya Puram under the chairmanship of the Deputy Director General, NCB Eastern Region. Officers from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Customs, Income Tax, CGST, Indian Coast Guard, CISF and the Anti-Narcotics Task Force participated in the discussions.
The meeting examined emerging modus operandi used by traffickers and measures for closer coordination among enforcement agencies. Participants also discussed financial investigations, intelligence exchange, best practices and network-centric investigations aimed at addressing drug-trafficking networks.
The NCB also outlined the implementation of its Vision Document on Narcotics Control and its strategic priorities for coordinated action against drug trafficking and the dismantling of narco-networks. Officials were briefed on red-flag indicators that can help identify clandestine laboratories.
The Andaman and Nicobar meeting came amid other recent NCB initiatives dealing with narcotics enforcement and chemical controls.
In Patna, the bureau destroyed seized narcotic drugs valued at Rs 4.54 crore on September 3. The disposal was aimed at preventing seized substances from re-entering circulation.
The NCB had also organised a seminar in Mumbai on August 31 on the Voluntary Code of Conduct (VCC) for precursor and other chemicals as part of its national outreach programme. The session at the Scitech Centre explained the objectives of the VCC to representatives of organisations, the pharmaceutical industry and trade and chemical associations, including ICC, IDMA, Chemexil and the Chemical and Alkali Merchants Association.
The seminar was chaired by the NCB Deputy Director General, Southwest Region, while the DDG and Additional Director, NCB Mumbai, addressed participants. Representatives of industry and trade associations also shared their views on the voluntary code.
The NCB has urged citizens to share information related to narcotics through the MANAS Helpline at 1933, stating that the identity of informers would remain confidential.
