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India needs Special Task Force led by IPS officer to strengthen narcotics surveillance: B Thirunavukkarasu
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Nandita Vijayasimha, Bengaluru
August 06 , 2025
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India needs to form a Special Task Force (STF) led by a Senior IPS Officer who could bolster surveillance on Narcotics Drugs & Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) supply and sale. The presence of an IPS rank officer will strengthen efforts in cybercrime monitoring and enhance intelligence coordination, making the fight against drug trafficking more effective and cohesive, stated B Thirunavukkarasu, president, the Bangalore District Chemists and Druggists Association (BDCDA).
There is also a need to establish a Central Digital Monitoring Cell under the Union ministry of health & home affairs, involving NCB, I4C, CDSCO, PCI, NPPA, ASCI, State FDAs, he added.
“Further, there is a need to recognize illegal online drug sales as a national public health threat which is a digital form of slow poisoning that undermines our nation’s health, law, and economy,” pointed out Thirunavukkarasu.
Going by the frequent narcotics seizures in the country, Thirunavukkarasu also noted with concern on the unregulated sale of Schedule H, H1, and X drugs online, through social media platforms, apps and anonymous delivery channels.
What we face today is not merely a violation of drug laws, but a form of silent national public health terrorism. Addiction to NDPS, spurious drugs, pharma scams, and digital pickpocketing are quietly poisoning our society from within, threatening public safety, trust, and national integrity, said the BDCDA president.
Therefore, a Special Task Force is the need of the hour. India has approximately 8 lakh pharmacy outlets, including both local chemists and branded pharmacy chains. The retail pharmacy sector is largely dominated by unorganized, local shops, making it difficult to ensure compliance of laws including Drugs & Cosmetics Act & Rules, he said.
Take Karnataka as an example, there are over 45,000 pharmacies operating across the state. Conducting routine inspections and enforcing regulations at such a scale is humanly impossible without a dedicated State Task Force equipped with both technical expertise and legal authority, said Thirunavukkarasu.
The reality is that the State drugs control department faces a severe shortage of drug inspectors. The shortfall of qualified related workforce makes it difficult to inspect and engage in surprise inspections, said Thirunavukkarasu reiterating the indispensability of a State Task Force led by an IPS officer.
“To this end, installing CCTV cameras is a responsible step, but it cannot be seen as a standalone solution. Licensed pharmacists are the first line of defence in ensuring safe and ethical drug distribution. We urge policymakers to shift their attention towards the real violators who are those operating outside the law, without licenses, without records, and without any accountability. Here BDCDA stands united in its commitment to uphold ethical pharmacy practices, protect public health, and preserve the integrity of India’s pharmaceutical supply chain,” said Thirunavukkarasu.
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