By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 21: Meghalaya is no longer just a transit corridor for narcotics — it has become a major consumption hub, with 50% of every drug consignment that crosses the border staying within the state, Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) SP Giri Prasad M. disclosed on Friday.
Although the circulation of methamphetamine and phensedyl has increased, heroin remains the undisputed kingpin. Highly addictive and devastating, it is the drug of choice among daily-wage labourers, unemployed youth and, alarmingly, even schoolchildren. Of the ₹400 crore worth of narcotics seized so far, heroin alone accounts for ₹250 crore.
“Shillong consumes nearly 30% of the total drugs trafficked through Meghalaya,” the SP said, identifying the capital — especially Iewduh, Police Bazaar, Ajmera, Mawlai and areas around TB Hospital — as the biggest hotspot. East Jaintia Hills, Ri-Bhoi and Paikan in Garo Hills have emerged as favoured smuggling corridors.
In the past few years, the ANTF has arrested over 1,150 peddlers and registered more than 700 cases under the NDPS Act. Five repeat offenders have been detained under the stringent PIT-NDPS Act, with more in the pipeline.
Prasad praised the pivotal role of Dorbar Shnongs and Rangbah Shnongs. “Locals tip us off, join night patrols and raids, and refuse to rent houses to known peddlers. That cooperation has been game-changing,” he said.
On the tech front, the force is gearing up: six new K9 sniffer dogs are being acclimatised, high-tech surveillance vehicles and drones are in the pipeline, handheld X-ray scanners will screen suspicious vehicles, and CCTV coverage is being rapidly expanded in high-risk zones.
Conviction rate in concluded NDPS cases stands at an impressive 80-plus per cent, though 70% of cases await trial. The ANTF is working with the Law Department for faster hearings.
While enforcement is intensifying, Prasad stressed that the battle cannot be won by police alone. Rehabilitation and demand reduction are being driven through the DREAM Mission and Social Welfare Department, with plans for a full-fledged de-addiction centre in every district.
“This fight needs enforcement, treatment, harm reduction and, above all, community ownership,” the SP said, adding that the next three-to-five-year strategy will be dynamic, shaped by evolving routes and emerging drugs.
Meghalaya may not produce narcotics, but it is now both victim and transit point — and the ANTF has sounded a clear warning: the enemy is already inside the gates.
