Nagpur: In a decisive crackdown on Maharashtra’s growing drug menace, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday announced that the State Government will amend laws to bring ruthless drug peddlers under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
The move, aimed at dismantling the drug syndicates operating across the state, will be implemented in the current session of the Legislature. Fadnavis made the announcement in the Legislative Council while responding to concerns raised by MLC Parinay Fuke, who exposed the alarming rise of synthetic drugs, especially mephedrone (MD), in smaller cities like Bhandara, Gondia, and Nagpur.
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02 july 2025
Fuke warned that hookah parlours have become breeding grounds for drug addiction, with shocking cases of minors as young as 15 getting drawn into violent crime under the influence of narcotics.
Fadnavis minced no words in acknowledging the gravity of the situation. “These offenders get booked under the NDPS Act, manage to secure bail, and return to poisoning our society. Mere arrests are no longer enough. We have decided to crush these drug cartels by invoking MCOCA. The necessary legal amendments will be pushed through in this very session,” he declared.
The Chief Minister also underlined the complexity of the battle, revealing that drug traffickers often hop across state borders to evade arrest. However, improved intelligence-sharing among states is now helping track and nab these criminals.
Official data paints a grim picture:
• In the last three years alone, 1,490 cases of mephedrone-related crimes were registered in Maharashtra.
• Over the past five years, authorities have seized 5,151 kg of MD and raw materials, worth a staggering ₹9,500 crore, and arrested 116 accused.
• Numerous illegal MD manufacturing units and chemical labs, hidden behind the façade of shutdown factories across the state, have been raided and busted by the Anti-Narcotics Cell, Mumbai Police, State Intelligence, and Narcotics Control Bureau.
Fadnavis asserted that while the state is tightening its legal grip on the drug mafia, parallel efforts are underway to protect vulnerable youth from falling prey to addiction. These include:
· Anti-Narcotics Cells operational in all police units.
· Overhaul of the Narco-Coordination (NCORD) mechanism and formation of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF).
· Creation of 346 new posts for ANTF as per the March 2025 government order.
· Appointment of a state-level nodal officer and formation of state and district-level NCORD committees for continuous monitoring.
· A state-wide awareness campaign through rallies, street plays, and school outreach programs, held from June 12 to 26, marking International Anti-Drug Day.
“The fight against drugs will be ruthless — not just on the streets, but also through awareness and prevention. We will not allow Maharashtra’s future to be destroyed by this poison,” Fadnavis warned.
