New Delhi: Responding to a question from the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has said that narcotics worth over Rs 11,311 crore were seized at the country’s seaports between 2020 and 2024.

The data, presented by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, shows that the vast majority of these 19 major seizures occurred at ports in just two states: Gujarat and Maharashtra.

In the written reply, Rai detailed eight instances of seizures in Gujarat – including three at Adani Port, Mundra and one at Pipavav Port – and eight in Maharashtra, primarily at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai. Two cases were reported from Kolkata and one from Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu.

Gandhi had specifically asked whether drug seizures at ports had increased and what steps the government was taking to strengthen security.

The ministry’s reply framed the high value of the seizures not as an indicator of increased trafficking attempts, but as a sign of successful enforcement. The seizures, Rai's statement noted, "are the result of the effective measures taken in controlling drug trafficking and highlight the successful coordination between the State and Central law enforcement agencies."

The reply went on to list a series of measures being taken to prevent drug trafficking, including a "constant vigil" by agencies like the NCB, Navy and Coast Guard, the establishment of state-level Anti-Narcotics Task Forces (ANTF), and a Joint Coordination Committee headed by the NCB Director General.

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