Shillong: The Meghalaya government has appealed to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to help fast-track the establishment of a sub-zonal office of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Shillong, amid growing concerns over cross-border drug trafficking in the region.
The state also proposed extending preventive detention under the PITNDPS Act to three years as part of its intensified crackdown on the narcotics trade.
The demands were presented during a high-level review meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who holds the Home (Police) portfolio.
NHRC Special Monitor Rakesh Asthana—former BSF Director General and ex-chief of the NCB—is on a three-day visit to Meghalaya to assess the drug situation first-hand.
Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh, addressing the media after the meeting, said the state has already submitted a proposal for setting up the NCB sub-zonal office and is now seeking the NHRC’s intervention to ensure swift action.
“We have requested the NHRC to pursue the matter with urgency,” he stated.
The state government also flagged delays in the sanctioning of scanner vehicles—crucial for intercepting drug shipments—which have already been proposed to the Union Ministry.
Lyngdoh said two such vehicles were requested earlier, and the NHRC official has assured support in addressing the hold-up.
Meghalaya further proposed extending the preventive detention period under the PITNDPS Act from the existing one year to three years.
“At present, four individuals are in preventive detention under the Act, and 12 more cases are being processed. A longer detention period would strengthen enforcement against organised drug networks,” Lyngdoh said.
Two key drug trafficking entry points have been identified in Ri-Bhoi district, and the Director General of Police has been directed to follow up on enforcement in coordination with the NHRC team.
The visiting NHRC Special Monitor was also briefed on Meghalaya’s flagship anti-narcotics initiative, DREAM (Drug Reduction, Elimination and Action Mission). Asthana reportedly praised the programme’s community-driven approach, which involves educational institutions and faith-based organisations.
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He assured the state of continued support from the NHRC.
During the meeting, officials highlighted Meghalaya’s heightened vulnerability due to its proximity to the Golden Triangle—a notorious hub for narcotics trafficking spanning Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand.
Lyngdoh noted that unlike Punjab, where the problem is often internal, Meghalaya’s drug crisis is driven by external supply routes feeding into the state.
The meeting was attended by top officials from the police and social welfare departments, members of the DREAM Mission, senior legal advisors, and additional chief secretary-level officers.
More detailed consultations between the NHRC and state authorities are scheduled for Tuesday.
