Director General of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Anurag Garg, engaged with sarpanches of border villages in Punjab’s Amritsar district to seek their assistance in combating drug trafficking and substance abuse. Garg highlighted the importance of a community-wide approach in addressing the drug menace and emphasized the pivotal role local communities can play in preventing trafficking and addiction.
During the interaction, Garg encouraged village elders and community leaders to steer the youth away from substance abuse and promote their involvement in sports and other positive activities. He assured them of NCB’s complete backing for community-driven initiatives focused on prevention, awareness, and rehabilitation efforts.
In his discussions with villagers, Garg also urged sarpanches to promote and utilize the MANAS helpline (1933) for reporting drug smuggling and seeking aid for rehabilitation-related concerns. This outreach initiative is part of NCB’s broader strategy to enhance cooperation at the grassroots level in border regions, which are susceptible to cross-border drug trafficking.
Garg recently attended the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, where he explored cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies designed to bolster enforcement capabilities and combat drug trafficking more efficiently. He and other officials were briefed on modern technological tools that can aid enforcement agencies in identifying and tracking drug trafficking networks.
The NCB Director reiterated the agency’s dedication to eradicating drug trafficking and abuse, emphasizing its role as the nation’s premier agency in this fight. NCB’s mission encompasses intelligence gathering, enforcement operations, rehabilitation support, and public awareness initiatives. Garg stressed the importance of collective responsibility among law enforcement agencies, civil society, and the public for the success of these anti-drug efforts.
