The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has destroyed more than 40 tonnes of seized narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in Madhya Pradesh as part of the Centre's intensified campaign against drug trafficking and abuse. The large-scale disposal drive was carried out under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, with authorities stressing that the operation reflects the government's zero-tolerance policy towards narcotics.
According to an official statement, the destroyed contraband had been seized in 29 different cases. The disposal was conducted in an environmentally safe manner in the presence of officials from the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board and other authorised agencies, following all prescribed government norms.
The destroyed substances included over 21.5 tonnes of poppy straw, 8.5 tonnes of opium black seeds, 15 kilograms of heroin, 44.755 kilograms of mephedrone, 352 grams of brown sugar, and 631 grams of alprazolam powder. Authorities also disposed of a massive quantity of pharmaceutical drugs, including 67,346 bottles of codeine phosphate syrup, 1.39 lakh tramadol tablets, 1.95 lakh lorazepam tablets, 1.83 lakh clonazepam tablets, 1.61 lakh alprazolam tablets, along with thousands of pentazocine injections and buprenorphine ampoules. Various other psychotropic substances, including ketamine, diazepam, nitrazepam, midazolam and zolpidem, were also destroyed.
Officials said that 37.649 kilograms of opium seized in eight separate cases will not be destroyed but will instead be deposited at the Government Opium and Alkaloid Works (GOAW) in Neemuch, in accordance with the prescribed legal procedures.
The disposal exercise forms part of the government's nationwide anti-drug campaign ahead of the launch of the "Drug Disposal Fortnight Campaign" by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The campaign aims to destroy over two lakh kilograms of seized narcotics across the country, with an estimated street value of around ₹6,000 crore, reinforcing the Centre's commitment to building a drug-free India.
The NCB said timely destruction of seized narcotics eliminates the possibility of the drugs re-entering illegal circulation and strengthens efforts to dismantle trafficking networks. Authorities added that regular disposal of seized substances is a crucial step in ensuring transparency, preventing misuse of stored contraband and supporting the broader mission of reducing drug abuse across the country.
