11-Apr-2023: Unified Portal of Central Bureau of Narcotics Launched

The Unified Portal of the Central Bureau of Narcotics was launched by the Revenue Secretary Shri Sanjay Malhotra. ​The Central Bureau of Narcotics has taken measures to strengthen the vision of Digital India in the period of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ by developing and unleashing the unified portal as one step solution for user industry to facilitate the licensing and ExIM authorizations issued by the Bureau.

The unified portal of Central Bureau of Narcotics will instill the efficiency, transparency and accountability in department users with twin objective to cater the need of pharma and chemical industry for synergistic growth of the drugs & pharma sector and boosting economy for “Aatma Nirbhar Bharat” and ensure availability of the “essential narcotic drugs” and medicines to the patients & their attendant families.

The launch of Unified portal of Central Bureau of Narcotics will prove as a stepping stone in ease of doing business of NDPS and Controlled substances in the country with transparent and better compliance. This portal is calibrated to have database integration & ingestion with other government services including Bharat Kosh, GST, PAN- NSDL validation, e-Sanchit, and UIDAI facilitating single point services for obtaining the licenses from CBN.  The exporter, importer, and manufacturer of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, and Controlled Substances are expected to be benefitted in a manner and ecosystem which supports and harbours user-friendly, secure transactions, cloud-based storage, simplified process for applicants to obtain various licenses such as Import Certificates, Export Authorizations, No Objection Certificate for various NDPS and controlled substances, manufacturing licenses, Quota Allocation of Narcotic Drugs in a smooth, hassle-free and transparent operations. It is imperative to note that all the operations are envisaged to be faceless & contactless. The applicants may file applications from anywhere & anytime 24*7 basis eliminating the need of physical interaction and can raise queries with the department which shall be responded through portal. This will leverage drastic reduction in ‘processing-time’ and conserving the resources of the trade for other fruitful business activities.

Central Bureau of Narcotics is a central government organization dealing with the international trade of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, and Precursor Chemicals under the ambit of various United Nations Conventions and the provisions of NDPS Act, 1985. These substances bear dual potential as strong medicinal, scientific, and industrial use as well as a diversion for illicit use creating the substances for abuse. Therefore, there is a need for striking a fine balance between the availability of these substances to the people and maintaining compliance with the law in this regard. These challenges envisioned the Bureau to conceptualize the use of a Digital platform as an effective tool to synergize and sustain balance between facilitation and compliance management.

11-Apr-2023: Unified Portal of Central Bureau of Narcotics Launched

The Unified Portal of the Central Bureau of Narcotics was launched by the Revenue Secretary Shri Sanjay Malhotra. ​The Central Bureau of Narcotics has taken measures to strengthen the vision of Digital India in the period of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ by developing and unleashing the unified portal as one step solution for user industry to facilitate the licensing and ExIM authorizations issued by the Bureau.

The unified portal of Central Bureau of Narcotics will instill the efficiency, transparency and accountability in department users with twin objective to cater the need of pharma and chemical industry for synergistic growth of the drugs & pharma sector and boosting economy for “Aatma Nirbhar Bharat” and ensure availability of the “essential narcotic drugs” and medicines to the patients & their attendant families.

The launch of Unified portal of Central Bureau of Narcotics will prove as a stepping stone in ease of doing business of NDPS and Controlled substances in the country with transparent and better compliance. This portal is calibrated to have database integration & ingestion with other government services including Bharat Kosh, GST, PAN- NSDL validation, e-Sanchit, and UIDAI facilitating single point services for obtaining the licenses from CBN.  The exporter, importer, and manufacturer of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, and Controlled Substances are expected to be benefitted in a manner and ecosystem which supports and harbours user-friendly, secure transactions, cloud-based storage, simplified process for applicants to obtain various licenses such as Import Certificates, Export Authorizations, No Objection Certificate for various NDPS and controlled substances, manufacturing licenses, Quota Allocation of Narcotic Drugs in a smooth, hassle-free and transparent operations. It is imperative to note that all the operations are envisaged to be faceless & contactless. The applicants may file applications from anywhere & anytime 24*7 basis eliminating the need of physical interaction and can raise queries with the department which shall be responded through portal. This will leverage drastic reduction in ‘processing-time’ and conserving the resources of the trade for other fruitful business activities.

Central Bureau of Narcotics is a central government organization dealing with the international trade of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, and Precursor Chemicals under the ambit of various United Nations Conventions and the provisions of NDPS Act, 1985. These substances bear dual potential as strong medicinal, scientific, and industrial use as well as a diversion for illicit use creating the substances for abuse. Therefore, there is a need for striking a fine balance between the availability of these substances to the people and maintaining compliance with the law in this regard. These challenges envisioned the Bureau to conceptualize the use of a Digital platform as an effective tool to synergize and sustain balance between facilitation and compliance management.

2022

20-Sep-2022: Central Bureau of Narcotics destroys 1,032 hectares of illicit cannabis (ganja) cultivation Himachal Pradesh

In one of the biggest destruction operations conducted over 2 weeks in Himachal Pradesh, officers of Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) destroyed 1032 hectares (12,900 bighas) of illicit cannabis (ganja) cultivation.

On receiving specific intelligence about illicit cannabis (ganja) cultivation in Himachal Pradesh, teams of officers of CBN were formed and dispatched. Officers of CBN verified the intelligence and further carried out physical surveys resulting in detection of more areas of illicit cultivation. Subsequently, destruction operation was started with support of District Administration, Forest Department and the Police.

During this operation, two-pronged approach of creating awareness among villagers along with enforcement was adopted by officers of CBN.

Community mobilisation was adopted by sensitising villagers about adverse effects of drugs on body and mind. Threats that drugs tend to pose to the future of youth and children were explained. Relevant penal provisions of NDPS act were also explained to Village Pradhans and members, consequent to which resolutions were passed by villagers to destroy illicit cannabis plantations around the villages. Villagers assisted officers of CBN to destroy illicit cultivation by actively taking part in exercise under supervision of CBN officers.

4 teams of CBN Officers were simultaneously allotted different areas of operation and given the flexibility to work jointly in certain areas with large illicit cultivation of cannabis. Officials from Forest department, Revenue & the Police department also accompanied teams during operations in light of sensitive nature of operation. It is noteworthy to mention that since this is a season of apple & pomegranate harvesting, labour availability was a problem but it failed to deter the grit and determination of CBN teams which swung into action and conducted destruction operation in hostile terrain with steep slopes and rains. The officers climbed daily up to 11,000 feet above sea level and even camped in sensitive areas to expedite the destruction of illicit cultivation of cannabis. Later on, officers from DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) also joined this operation.

GPS coordinates were used to tag / mark the sensitive locations and DRONES were used for detection and surveillance of the illicit cannabis (ganja) cultivation areas which resulted in greater success of the entire operation.

“Mission Crackdown shall continue with same vigour in other parts of the country and CBN is fully committed against the Drug Menace” said Shri Rajesh F Dhabre, Narcotics Commissioner, Central Bureau of Narcotics.

Active support in terms of logistics and manpower was provided throughout the operation by the Office of Dist. Collector, CCF and SP Kullu and DRI.

The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) is the Apex Drug Law Enforcement Agency under Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India tasked with identification and destruction of illicit cultivation of cannabis and Opium along with its other responsibilities.

CBN has conducted destruction operation in many states like West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Uttarakhand etc., resulting in destruction of more than 25,000 hectares of illicit cultivation of Opium and Cannabis over the years. CBN had also destroyed approximately 3,600 hectares of Illicit Opium in Arunachal Pradesh in the month of February and March this year. CBN intends to continue such destruction operations of illicit cultivation across India in future as well.