Srinagar, July 28 -- The data presented in Parliament this week by theMinister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai,confirms what many on the ground have long feared: drug trafficking, illegal cultivation of poppy and cannabis, and substance abuse have taken root in alarming ways. The year 2020, for instance, saw over 27,000 kg of drugs and 40,000 litres of liquid narcotics seized, according to thedata from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). This is a chilling peak that exposes the scale of the underworld economy feeding off Kashmir's vulnerabilities.

In recent years, the J&K Police and other agencies have stepped up their crackdown destroying illegal crops, with 1,000 acres cleared in 2024 alone. They have seized consignments...