Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressing the RN Kao Memorial Lecture-2026 organized by Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) in New Delhi. | Photo credit: PTI
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday (May 15, 2026) called for a united global effort in the war on drugs and stressed the need for a unified legal framework to tackle the menace.
He said the fight against drugs must rise above geopolitical differences and individual national interests. The world must fight against narco-networks and narco-terrorist states, the minister said, adding that the world will have to adopt uniform laws for a common definition of prohibited substances, standardized penalties for drug trafficking, extradition of drug lords and intelligence sharing.
Mr Shah said there is still time for all responsible nations to work together to defeat this menace. He warned that unless a concerted effort is made now, after 10 years, it will be too late to reverse the damage done.
He said that unless there is a high degree of global alignment on what are known as controlled substances, as well as on common standard penalties for drug trafficking, cartels will continue to exploit inconsistencies in policy, weakening efforts to combat the menace.
Mr. Shah delivered the RN Kao Memorial Lecture in memory of the founder of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). Speaking on ‘Narcotics: A Borderless Menace, Collective Responsibility’, he called upon the ambassadors and diplomats of various countries to join India’s efforts in the war on drugs and emphasized the need for serious joint efforts to achieve a drug-free world to preserve the global social fabric.
The Minister said that India has set a national target of achieving a “Drug Free India” by 2047. He emphasized that drug trafficking is not just a law and order issue to be tackled by the police or anti-narcotics agencies, but a problem with long-term impact on society and future generations.
Mr Shah said that while there was awareness that drug money was being used to fund terrorists and criminal networks and support the shadow economy, what had largely gone unnoticed was the lasting damage drug abuse caused to the human body.
He emphasized that the extent of international cooperation in the fight against narcotics trafficking is crucial and emphasized the importance of real-time intelligence sharing for the interdiction of narcotics shipments and the apprehension/deportation of drug lords. He informed that in the last two years, India has managed to bring back more than 40 transnational criminals with the support of friendly nations. However, he added that much more needs to be done.
He said there is a need for all responsible countries to reach a consensus that the war on drugs is essential to national security, protecting public health and preventing narco-states from becoming alternative power centers. To achieve this goal, the minister called for close international coordination.
Mr. Shah also said that a world with a population of 8 billion people, 195 nations and 2,50,000 kilometers of international borders cannot address the drug problem through fragmented approaches. Collective decision-making among nations, intelligence sharing, coordinated action and cross-border operations will prove essential in combat, he said.
Kao’s family members, former R&AW secretaries, ambassadors/high commissioners and diplomats from more than 40 countries, besides officials of the Indian security apparatus, attended the event.
Published – 15 May 2026 22:40 IST
