Srinagar, Jul 23: The Union Government has revealed a grim picture of the growing drug menace in Jammu and Kashmir, with over 1.12 lakh kilograms of narcotic drugs seized and nearly 10,000 individuals arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act since 2018.
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said the Union Territory has witnessed a persistent and troubling increase in narcotics trafficking, illegal cultivation, and substance abuse cases over the past five years.
The minister said the data from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) indicates a sharp escalation in drug seizures from 2018 to 2020, followed by a gradual decline in the years that followed. In 2018, a total of 19,353 kilogrammes of narcotics were seized along with 87,713 units and nearly 8,000 litres of psychotropic substances.
Seizures rose significantly in 2019 and peaked in 2020, when authorities confiscated over 27,000 kilogrammes of drugs and more than 40,000 litres of liquid narcotics. However, from 2021 onwards, the volume of seized substances saw a decline, though officials believe trafficking activities have continued, often shifting to more concealed methods.
The number of arrests under the NDPS Act followed a similar trend. In 2018, 1,460 individuals were arrested, with the number rising to 1,884 in 2019. Although there was a slight dip in 2020, arrests surged again in 2021 and reached a five-year high in 2022 with 3,453 people apprehended for narcotics-related offences.
Alongside law enforcement efforts, the government also reported substantial destruction of illicit crop cultivation in the region. From 2020 to 2024, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed the eradication of hundreds of acres of poppy and cannabis cultivation.
While 893 acres of poppy crops were destroyed in 2020, the figure dropped sharply over the next two years but rose again in 2023 and 2024. Similarly, large-scale cannabis destruction was carried out, with over 900 acres cleared in 2023 and nearly 1,000 acres in 2024.
The government also highlighted its de-addiction efforts in the Union Territory. Under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the number of individuals receiving de-addiction services rose sharply from just over 1,500 in 2020–21 to more than 35,000 in 2024–25. In total, 83,208 people have been treated and discharged from various de-addiction centres across Jammu and Kashmir since 2020. Currently, ten de-addiction centres are operational in the region.
Meanwhile, the Drug Treatment Clinic at the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) Kashmir reported 3,207 new registrations in 2021–22, followed by 3,334 in 2022–23. The number dropped to 1,457 in 2023–24, and 1,389 patients were registered up to January 2025. In total, IMHANS Kashmir has treated 9,387 patients for drug addiction.
In a deeply concerning revelation, the government informed the Lok Sabha that since 2018, at least 17 suicides have been linked to drug abuse and alcohol addiction in Jammu and Kashmir. The data underscores the depth of the crisis and the urgent need for a more robust, community-driven response to tackle addiction and its consequences.
The Ministry of Home Affairs reaffirmed its commitment to curbing the drug threat through strengthened enforcement, widespread awareness campaigns, and the expansion of treatment and rehabilitation facilities across the Union Territory—(KNO)
