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Crime
NCB to target illegal foreign nationals in drug trafficking crackdown
✍️ Hindustan Times
🗓 20 Aug 2026, 09:52 AM
👁 8
The National Crime Branch will coordinate with state police to identify and detain foreign nationals staying illegally who are suspected of drug trafficking.
The National Crime Branch (NCB) has announced a focused operation aimed at foreign nationals who are residing in India without legal status and are alleged to be involved in drug trafficking. The directive emphasizes a joint effort with state law‑enforcement agencies to locate, investigate and apprehend such individuals.
Under the new plan, NCB officers will share intelligence with state police, conduct coordinated raids, and use existing immigration data to verify the legal status of suspects. The collaboration is intended to close gaps that traffickers exploit by using foreigners who lack proper documentation.
Authorities say the move is part of a broader "war on drugs" strategy that seeks to dismantle supply chains at every level. By targeting the foreign element, officials hope to disrupt international links and send a clear signal that illegal residency will not shield anyone from prosecution.
The NCB has not disclosed the number of cases or specific locations where operations will commence, but it affirmed that the crackdown will be carried out across multiple states as soon as actionable intelligence is gathered.
Under the new plan, NCB officers will share intelligence with state police, conduct coordinated raids, and use existing immigration data to verify the legal status of suspects. The collaboration is intended to close gaps that traffickers exploit by using foreigners who lack proper documentation.
Authorities say the move is part of a broader "war on drugs" strategy that seeks to dismantle supply chains at every level. By targeting the foreign element, officials hope to disrupt international links and send a clear signal that illegal residency will not shield anyone from prosecution.
The NCB has not disclosed the number of cases or specific locations where operations will commence, but it affirmed that the crackdown will be carried out across multiple states as soon as actionable intelligence is gathered.