Meghalaya at one point of time was just a transit route. Now we are becoming more and more of a consumer state.
– Idashisha Nongrang, DGP, Meghalaya
Tura, May 21: Even as drug-related activities have increased in Meghalaya, the authorities believe it can still be effectively contained if proactive measures are strengthened now, Director General of Police (DGP) Idashisha Nongrang said on Thursday.
The DGP, while addressing a press conference, expressed concern over increasing drug-related activities in Garo Hills and stressed the need for stronger enforcement and timely intervention to prevent the problem from escalating further in the region.
“While there has been an increase in activities related to drugs, if we are able to check it now, we can still contain it,” the DGP said.
She noted that district-level Anti-Narcotics Task Forces (ANTFs) are responsible for tackling drug supply reduction across Meghalaya.
However, she admitted that the district ANTF in Tura has not been as proactive as some other units and said efforts are underway to strengthen operations.
“We are looking at ensuring that we reactivate ourselves because supply reduction remains our charter,” Nongrang said.
The DGP cautioned against allowing Garo Hills to witness a drug situation similar to what eastern Meghalaya has experienced over the years.
“We certainly do not want what has happened in the eastern range to be replicated in the western range vis-à-vis drugs,” she said.
Nongrang further pointed out that Meghalaya, which was largely viewed as a transit corridor for narcotics in previous years, is now witnessing increasing local consumption, a trend she described as a serious concern.
“Meghalaya at one point of time was just a transit route. Now we are becoming more and more of a consumer state,” she said.
Clarifying concerns surrounding cross-border trafficking, Nongrang said drugs entering Garo Hills are not primarily coming through the international border with Bangladesh.
According to her, narcotics seized in Garo Hills are largely sourced from other parts of the country and enter through Assam rather than via Bangladesh.
“What is coming into Garo Hills from Bangladesh is very minimal compared to what is coming from other parts of the country,” she said, adding that fentanyl moving toward Bangladesh remains a separate concern.
The DGP said Meghalaya Police, through district ANTF units and wider government initiatives such as the DREAM project, is working alongside multiple stakeholders to curb supply networks and prevent the drug problem from deepening further in Garo Hills and other parts of the state.
