Govt destroys 328 kg of narcotics, 80 lakh sticks of foreign origin cigarettes under Special Campaign-3

New Delhi: The Delhi Customs Preventive Zone, in compliance with Special Campaign 3.0 initiated by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Ministry of Finance, conducted a massive destruction operation in New Delhi.

A total of 328 kg of narcotic substances, valued at Rs 284 crore, and a staggering 80.2 lakh sticks of foreign origin cigarettes, with an approximate worth of Rs 9.85 crore, were safely and non-hazardously annihilated, read the press release issued by the Ministry of Finance.
This operation was carried out in the presence of esteemed dignitaries including the Secretary of the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India; Chairman of CBIC; and Member (Compliance Management), CBIC.

The destruction process began only after the Revenue Secretary, CBIC Chairman, and CBIC Member (Compliance Management), along with other senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, conducted an on-site inspection of the illegal goods slated for obliteration, read the release.
Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra, during his address at the event, emphasized that the destruction of illegal goods is an ongoing endeavour by the Customs department, both within and outside the Special Campaign, but Special Campaign 3.0 has significantly accelerated this process.
He drew a parallel between the act of destroying illegal goods and the ritualistic burning of the effigy of Ravana during the festival of Dussehra, symbolizing the victory of good over evil.

Malhotra expressed the department's unwavering commitment to combat the drug menace and protect the younger generations.
The narcotics that met their end during this operation included 29 kg of Heroin, 6 kg of Cocaine, 7 kg of Amphetamine, and 286 kg of Khat leaves, scientifically known as 'Catha Edulis', read the press release.

The Heroin component was predominantly seized by the department in 2005-06 and 2009-10, with some quantity confiscated in 2022-23.
The remaining narcotic drugs were seized during the fiscal year 2022-23. The foreign-origin cigarettes, now a thing of the past, were primarily apprehended in 2018, with additional quantities seized in 2023, read the press release.

These cigarettes were confiscated for violating the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, as they lacked the mandated health and pictorial warnings.

The destruction process adhered to the guidelines under the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016, and took place at M/s Biotic Waste Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Delhi.

This facility is duly authorized by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) for the destruction of narcotic substances, cigarettes, and other biodegradable waste, including biomedical waste.

CBIC has intensified its efforts under Special Campaign for Disposal of Pending Matters (SCDPM) 3.0 in the third week of October 2023. This initiative resulted in the obliteration of a staggering 365 kg of narcotic substances worth Rs 1,000 crore and 1.35 crore foreign origin cigarette sticks worth Rs 13 crore, read the press release.

Additionally, the department successfully eliminated 8,308 physical files and disposed of 9,304 kg of scrap, freeing up a substantial office space of 46,565 sq. ft.
The current destruction operation by the Customs Preventive Zone in Delhi is another step in decluttering and spreading the message of cleanliness, read the press release.

India remains actively involved in global efforts to combat the drug menace, being a party to United Nations conventions on drugs. To implement these treaties, the Indian Parliament passed the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
In addition to its primary function of revenue collection, Indian Customs takes proactive measures to prevent smuggling of contraband and narcotics, collecting intelligence information from various sources to intercept any attempt to smuggle narcotic drugs via air, sea, or land, in accordance with the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.