DGP Rupin Sharma (File Photo)
Chümoukedima, November 13 (MExN): Nagaland has an estimated 1.2 lakh drug-opiate users who consume heroin or brown sugar, locally known as ‘shaanflower’ or ‘SF’ due to its traditional origins in the Shaan province of Myanmar, Director General of Police (DGP) Sharma said.
Delivering the keynote at the two-day Conference of Anti-Narcotics Task Forces (ANTF) for the North-East, including Sikkim, at Chümoukedima on November 13, he approximated that even at half the actual number of users, daily consumption would amount to nearly 30 kg, translating to around 10,000 kg annually for Nagaland alone.
Applying the same calculation to the entire NE, with roughly 10 lakh users, the annual consumption could reach 1 lakh kg, Sharma held, noting that the quantity flowing through the region to the rest of the country could be at least double the figure, if not more.
In contrast, the DGP stated that that law enforcement in the NE currently seizes barely 5000 kg of heroin or brown sugar annually.
“This is a classic story of failure,” he remarked, stressing the socio-economic impact of the crisis.
He noted that the economic cost of drugs varies by location: near Myanmar, 1 lakh kg would amount to nearly Rs 2.5 lakh crore, while on the mainland it could be nearly six times higher.
The amount does not account for additional pressures on law enforcement, the criminal justice system, healthcare, and other incidental costs, DGP Sharma added.
He described drug trafficking as “not merely a crime, but a public health emergency and a threat to national security and public order.”
The Nagaland DGP further noted that the NE region is the pivot of India's fight against drug as the long and porous 1,643 km border with Myanmar, combined with challenging terrains and the governance turmoil in neighbouring country, makes the NE states “extremely vulnerable.”
Outlining his operational strategy for the region, DGP Sharma proposed a focus on three pillars: Co-ordination, Enforcement, and Accountability, urging collaborative efforts from all agencies to tackle the growing menace effectively.
