Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a massive surge in drug seizures, arrests, and rehabilitation cases over the last seven years, according to a detailed response tabled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the Union Territory has witnessed a persistent rise in narcotics trafficking, illegal cultivation, and substance abuse cases over the past five years.
Citing data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the minister said drug seizures saw a sharp rise from 2018 to 2020, followed by a gradual decline in subsequent years. In 2018, authorities seized 19,353 kilograms of narcotics, 87,713 units, and nearly 8,000 litres of psychotropic substances.
Seizures surged in 2019 and peaked in 2020, when over 27,000 kilograms of drugs and more than 40,000 litres of liquid narcotics were confiscated. From 2021 onwards, the volume of seized substances declined, though officials believe trafficking has continued through more concealed methods.
Arrests under the NDPS Act followed a similar trend. In 2018, 1,460 individuals were arrested, rising to 1,884 in 2019. After a dip in 2020, the number surged in 2021 and hit a five-year high in 2022, with 3,453 arrests for narcotics-related offences.
The government also reported large-scale destruction of illicit crops. From 2020 to 2024, hundreds of acres of poppy and cannabis cultivation were eradicated in Jammu and Kashmir. In 2020 alone, 893 acres of poppy crops were destroyed. The figure fell in the following two years but rose again in 2023 and 2024. Cannabis destruction also increased, with over 900 acres cleared in 2023 and nearly 1,000 acres in 2024.
Under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the number of individuals receiving de-addiction services rose 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 in Jammu and Kashmir since 2020. Currently, ten de-addiction centres are operational in the region.
At the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) Kashmir, the Drug Treatment Clinic registered 3,207 new cases 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 has treated 9,387 patients for drug addiction.
In a concerning revelation, the government informed the Lok Sabha that since 2018, at least 17 suicides in Jammu and Kashmir have been linked to drug and alcohol addiction. The data highlights the seriousness of the crisis and the urgent need for stronger, community-driven responses.
The Ministry of Home Affairs reiterated its commitment to tackling the drug threat through stricter enforcement, awareness campaigns, and expanding treatment and rehabilitation facilities across the Union Territory. (inputs from KNO)
