The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is an intelligence agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The agency is tasked with combating drug trafficking and the use of illegal substances under the provisions of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
It is responsible for coordination with the Indian state governments and other central departments, implementation of India’s international obligations with regard to drug trafficking, and assisting international and foreign drug law enforcement agencies.
Formation:
The Narcotics Control Bureau was created in March 1986 in terms of Section 4 (3) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, which envisages an authority for taking measures with respect to such matters under the Act as may be specified by the Central Government, subject to the supervision and control of the Central Government. The law was established to fulfil India’s treaty obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
The Narcotics Control Bureau’s national headquarters is located in Delhi. Its field units and offices are organised by zones and are located in various metropolitan cities in India. The Director General of NCB is an officer of the Indian Police Service(IPS) or the Indian Revenue Service(IRS). Officers in this organisation are drawn from Indian Revenue Service, Indian Police Service and Paramilitary forces in addition to directly recruited members.
The Narcotics Control Bureau is also represented on the Economic Intelligence Council. The Economic Intelligence Council is the apex forum that over sees government agencies responsible for economic intelligence and combating economic offences in India.
NCB is affiliated to Home Ministry, which was made responsible for administering The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The NCB is outside the ambit of the Right to information Act under Section 24(1) of the RTI act 2005.
Functions:
The chief purpose of the Narcotics Control Bureau is to fight drug trafficking on an all-India level. It works in close cooperation with the Customs and Central Excise/GST, State Police Department, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) and other Indian intelligence and law enforcement agencies both at the national and states level. The NCB also provides resources and training to the personnel of India’s Drug Law Enforcement Agencies in fighting drug trafficking. The NCB also monitors India’s frontiers to track down points where smuggling activities take place with foreign traffickers.
Bureau has the following functions:-
- Coordination among various Central and State Agencies engaged in drug law enforcement;
- Assisting States I enhancing their drug law enforcement effort;
- Collection and dissemination of intelligence;
- Analysis of seizure data, study of trends and modus operandi;
- Preparation of National Drug Enforcement Statistics;
- Liaison with International agencies such as UNDCP, INCB, INTERPOL, Customs Cooperation Council, RILO etc;
- National contact point for intelligence and investigations
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985:
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Bill, 1985 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 23 August 1985. It was passed by both the Houses of Parliament and it was assented by the President on 16 September 1985. It came into force on 14 November 1985 as THE NARCOTIC DRUGS AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES ACT, 1985 (shortened to NDPS Act). Under the NDPS Act, it is illegal for a person to produce/manufacture/cultivate, possess, sell, purchase, transport, store, and/or consume any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance.
Under one of the provisions of the act, the Narcotics Control Bureau was set up with effect from March 1986. The Act is designed to fulfil India’s treaty obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs(The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 is an international treaty to prohibit production and supply of specific (nominally narcotic) drugs and of drugs with similar effects except under license for specific purposes, such as medical treatment and research), Convention on Psychotropic Substances (The Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 is a United Nations treaty designed to control psychoactive drugs such as amphetamine-type stimulants, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and psychedelics signed in Vienna, Austria on 21 February 1971), and United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (The United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988 is one of three major drug control treaties currently in force).
Conclusion:
We all heard about NCB again in the Sushant Singh case although there were many speculations NCB hasn’t made any high profile arrests yet. NCB needs to work hard to upgrade our skills and investigate abilities and capabilities to ensure quick disposal of cases, while adhering rule of law.
Society and NCB should together as a strong and effective team, effectively to eliminate drugs from our society by acting fairly, firmly and impartially.
Contact NCB directly:
If you want to contact NCB; Report Incidents of Drug Trafficking / Accident or Serious Incidents
Telephone No. : +91-11-26761000
Email Id. : ddge-ncb@nic.in & adenf-ncb@nic.in
Reference:
http://narcoticsindia.nic.in/DLEA/1.pdf
https://www.mha.gov.in/commoncontent/role-and-functions-narcotics-control-bureau
Aishwarya Says:
I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.
If you are interested in participating in the same, do let me know.
Do follow me on Facebook, Twitter Youtube and Instagram.
The copyright of this Article belongs exclusively to Ms. Aishwarya Sandeep. Reproduction of the same, without permission will amount to Copyright Infringement. Appropriate Legal Action under the Indian Laws will be taken.
If you would also like to contribute to my website, then do share your articles or poems at adv.aishwaryasandeep@gmail.com
We also have a Facebook Group Restarter Moms for Mothers or Women who would like to rejoin their careers post a career break or women who are enterpreneurs.