10% of Meghalaya’s population affected by drugs, govt paves way for reform

Shillong, Dec 30: As 2025 approaches, Meghalaya grapples with a serious drug abuse crisis, with an estimated 10% of its total population—about 3 lakh people—reported to be drug users.

Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh revealed the alarming statistics, highlighting that the majority of the drug users are youth between the ages of 15 and 29, with the prevalence rate among this group reaching up to 30%.

In response to this urgent situation, the state government is pushing for the creation of a special court to exclusively handle cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The law department has already been in talks with the Meghalaya High Court to facilitate the establishment of this court.

The government has also launched a pioneering initiative - a dedicated police station - to combat the growing problem.

The Anti-Narcotic Task Force (ANTF) police station, led by Superintendent of Police Jagpal Singh Dhanoa, is staffed with a team of 30 personnel. The establishment of the ANTF marks a significant step in the state’s multi-pronged approach to tackling drug abuse.

Authorities report substantial efforts in recent years, with significant seizures of drugs including 42.758 kg of heroin, 13,521 kg of ganja and opium, along with cash and arms.

Over the past five years, 653 drug-related cases have been registered, leading to the arrest of 1,027 men and 134 women.

However, the conviction rate remains disturbingly low, with only 25 convictions out of the 653 cases, largely due to the heavy caseload at traditional police stations.

To address these challenges, the ANTF police station is providing intensive training to its officers in the finer details of the NDPS Act, including mock trials with prominent lawyers to strengthen their case-handling skills.

The police station is also empowered to freeze bank accounts and properties of accused drug dealers, with plans to approach the Supreme Court if bails are granted to those accused.

In addition to law enforcement, the state government is focusing on rehabilitation as a crucial component of its anti-drug strategy.

Detoxification and rehabilitation centres are being built to offer specialised treatment for drug users, as simply locking them up could prove fatal due to withdrawal symptoms.

"We just can't take drug users from the streets and throw them into jails. The withdrawal symptoms may take their lives. We need these rehabilitation and detox centres as fast as possible," said an official involved in the effort.