Operation Vajra 2.0
Why in News?
Operation Vajra 2.0 is in the news because the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) under the Ministry of Finance, recently executed a massive interstate drug bust along the Punjab–Himachal Pradesh corridor (Chandigarh–Baddi route), seizing nearly 66.8 lakh illicit psychotropic tablets.
About Operation Vajra 2.0
- Executing Agency: The operation is spearheaded by the Preventive Branch of the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), under India's Ministry of Finance.
- Primary Objective: To dismantle inter-state organized synthetic drug networks and prevent the illicit diversion of commercial pharmaceutical drugs.
- Seized Substances: The major pharmaceutical cache contained four restricted medicines:
- Alprazolam tablets: 59,08,100 units.
- Tramadol tablets: 7,47,780 units.
- Nitrazepam tablets: 23,700 units.
- Clonazepam tablets: 400 units.
- Modus Operandi Uncovered: The syndicate hid 120 master cartons inside a commercial truck cargo. The vehicle had no valid invoices or e-way bills.
- Evading Tactics: The criminals deliberately erased batch numbers, manufacturing dates, and expiry dates from the blister packages to block law enforcement tracing.
- Legal Framework: All arrests, vehicle confiscations, and drug seizures are heavily prosecuted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
- Broader Vision: This operation serves as a component of the Government of India's national mission toward a "Drug-Free India" (Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan).
