Rapid Fire
NCB’s Operation- MED MAX
- 03 Jul 2025
- 2 min read
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), under Operation MED MAX and in coordination with international agencies, has dismantled a transnational drug cartel operating across more than 10 countries in Asia, North America, Europe, and Oceania.
- NCB: Headquartered in New Delhi, NCB is the apex drug law enforcement and intelligence agency in India, constituted in 1986 under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
- The National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances is based on Article 47 of the Indian Constitution, a Directive Principle of State Policy, which mandates the prohibition of the consumption of intoxicating drugs except for medicinal purposes.
- Functions and Powers of NCB: Operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs and coordinates with various central and state agencies for enforcement and policy implementation.
- Significance of NCB in Internal Security: Plays a key role in national security and public health, especially in light of increasing international drug syndicates.
- Leads India’s response to digital and transnational narcotic crimes.
- NCB supports multilateral enforcement actions involving agencies like the US DEA and Interpol.
- Other Major Legislation Governing Drugs: Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and Prevention of Illicit Traffic in NDPS Act, 1988.
- India is a signatory to key international conventions like Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 (as amended by 1972 Protocol), Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971, and UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988.
| Read more: Combating Synthetic Drug Trafficking in India |
