&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Mumbai launches 'Drug-Free Mumbai' campaign as Maharashtra steps up fight against narcotics")
Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday launched the'Drug-Free Mumbai'campaign, calling for a public movement against narcotics as authorities seek to tackle both drug abuse and organised trafficking in India's financial capital.
The campaign aims to combine stricter law enforcement with community participation, awareness drives and early intervention programmes. Schools, colleges, housing societies and workplaces across Mumbai will be encouraged to organise anti-drug awareness activities, while citizens are being urged to take an online pledge supporting a drug-free city.
Launching the initiative, Fadnavis said the fight against narcotics cannot be left to law enforcement agencies alone and requires active participation from society, particularly to protect young people from substance abuse.
Why Mumbai is vulnerable
Mumbai has long been considered one of India's most vulnerable cities to narcotics trafficking because of its strategic location on the Arabian Sea, one of the country's busiest ports, an international airport, and extensive logistics and transport networks that connect it with global trade routes.
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According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), South Asia lies along major heroin trafficking routes originating from Afghanistan's "Golden Crescent", while synthetic drugs are increasingly being manufactured and trafficked across the region.
Mumbai's position as India's commercial capital makes it both a transit point and a consumer market for international and domestic drug syndicates.
Enforcement agencies intensify crackdown
In recent years, agencies including theNarcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Mumbai Police, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the Maharashtra Anti-Narcotics Task Force have significantly stepped up enforcement.
According to the Maharashtra government, the NCB's Mumbai Zonal Unit has seized narcotics worth more than ₹150 crore and arrested over 300 drug peddlersin recent operations.
The crackdown has also led to major seizures across the Mumbai metropolitan region. In one operation in 2025, the NCB and local police seizedketamine worth nearly ₹89 crorefrom an illegal manufacturing facility in the Mumbai region.
Authorities have also begun using tougher organised crime laws against drug syndicates. In 2025, Mumbai Police invoked theMaharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA)in a narcotics case for the first time after the law was expanded to cover organised drug trafficking.
Beyond policing
Officials say enforcement alone cannot eliminate the drug menace. The new campaign places equal emphasis on prevention, education and rehabilitation.
Under the initiative, awareness programmes will be conducted in educational institutions and residential communities to educate citizens about the health risks, legal consequences and social impact of drug abuse.
The campaign also encourages families and local communities to identify vulnerable individuals early and support rehabilitation efforts.
The campaign forms part of Maharashtra's broader strategy to reduce both the supply of illegal narcotics and the demand for drugs through sustained public engagement, with the message:"Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life."
