State govt sanctions key posts for new Anti-Narcotics Task Force

Jaipur: To combat rising cases of drug smuggling in Western Rajasthan, the state govt is all set to establish an Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) equipped with a dedicated police force.
This initiative will include creation of a specialised police station in Jaipur and multiple outposts across the state to address the growing drug trade, sources said. The govt has already sanctioned key positions, including those for superintendent of police (SP) and additional SP, to lead the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) operations.
This step is part of the broader expansion of the state's police force, following the govt's July Budget announcement of 5,500 new positions, with 280 of them earmarked for ANTF.
"A dedicated police station, similar to the Special Operations Group (SOG), will be established in Jaipur, with additional outposts spread across key areas," a senior police official said.
Minister of state for home Jawahar Singh Bedam told TOI that priority will be given to districts along the Punjab and Haryana borders and areas bordering Pakistan, where drug smuggling is rampant and local youths are increasingly being targeted by smugglers.
At present, anti-narcotics operations are being handled by Special Task Force (Anti-Drug) under SOG, which was formed by the previous Gehlot govt. SOG operates in Jaipur and Malarampura, Sangariya, and has set up outposts in Sriganganagar, Kota, Jodhpur, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, and Udaipur.
However, drug smuggling escalated significantly, with Rajasthan becoming a new corridor for narcotics. Smugglers from Punjab and Haryana are shifting their operations to the state, and drones from Pakistan are increasingly being used to transport drugs across the Rajasthan border. The state also became a hub for amphetamine production, highlighted by Mumbai police, which busted a large manufacturing facility in Jodhpur in May.
Data from the past four years under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act shows a sharp rise in drug seizures. The most significant increase was in opium, with seizures rising by 635%—from 614 kilograms in 2020 to 4,520 kilograms in 2023. Seizures of heroin surged by 247%, smack by 175%, doda post by 116%, and brown sugar by 60%. In contrast, seizures of cannabis and charas decreased by 13% and 9%, respectively.
The state govt's push to form a dedicated ANTF follows the Union Home Ministry's directive in December 2021, which called on states to create dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Forces to make India drug-free.