The Rediff Interview/Director-General of the Narcotics Control Bureau, Gopal Acharya

Gopal Acharya, director-general of the Narcotics Control Bureau, is pleased with the performance of his men. And he has every reason to be.

On May 5, his men in Bombay arrested actor Fardeen Khan along with a drug peddler and seized 9 grams of cocaine before the drug could change hands.

Now his men have arrested a Nigerian national and recovered over 2 kilograms of the drug, worth Rs 10 crore [Rs 100 million] from his possession.

In an interview with Onkar Singh, Acharya said his men did not know they were going to nab Fardeen Khan and denies that Khan revealed the names of other Bollywood film stars during his interrogation.

In the Fardeen Khan case, what really happened? Were you expecting to find him there?

We did not know Fardeen Khan was going to collect the drug. We had information that the peddler was going to come to a particular place at a particular time to sell the drug.

What was your immediate reaction?

As Fardeen Khan is a high-profile man, we were very cautious. We suspect that some film stars may be into drugs.

At one stage, it was said that Fardeen Khan had 9 grams of cocaine. Is it correct?

The whole thing has been recorded in the security camera at the HSBC bank where he had gone to collect the drug. Fardeen Khan was yet to receive his quota of cocaine. The security cameras constantly take pictures of customers and the whole sequence has been captured.

Has the publicity in this case helped make people aware of the menace of drugs?

Even educated people -- for example Fardeen Khan, who is an MBA from Massachusetts -- do get trapped by the lure of drugs. It is good publicity and will help people realize the danger of drugs.

Is it correct that Fardeen Khan has named certain film personalities who are taking drugs?

Not to my knowledge.

Not even one?

No.

What does Fardeen Khan state in his statement of admission?

I cannot divulge the contents of the statement.

What quantity of drugs are coming into India? What is the scenario at the national level?

The situation is not so alarming in this country because of strong family bonds, pressures and other social factors. In India, there are certain social norms that prevent drug abuse.

Do your statistics show a rise or decline in the consumption of drugs by Indians?

There is a decline in drug trafficking in India according to the seizure figures. Drugs are going from Afghanistan to other countries like Iran and Turkey and then on to Europe. Earlier, the favourite route was through Pakistan and India.

Are profits from drugs being pumped into terrorism in India?

There is no hard proof on this count. There have been a number of seizures where narcotics and arms both have been recovered. It is possible that profits generated from narcotics trade may be going to fund militancy. It is a fact that areas, which are affected by militancy, have also recorded substantive drug seizure and trafficking like the northeastern states and Indo-Pakistan border.

What are the favourite drugs being used in party circles?

Cocaine originates from South America, which is derived from cocoa leaves. It is a drug of choice in USA, but because of its prohibitive cost, nearly Rs 3,000 per gram, it is not very prevalent in India. However, psychotropic drugs like Mandrax, methaqualone, amphetamine are synthetic drugs and are equally dangerous. But they are not very costly.

Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand and Myanmar, are affected with these drugs. These drugs are being smuggled into India through the northeastern states.

Recently there was a huge seizure (two tonnes) of Mandrax tablets from Bombay. The pharmaceutical companies, also to generate extra profit, do go for the manufacture of these synthetic drugs. Normally, these drugs are exported to south African countries and then to Europe.

How is it that you are not able to nab high-profile persons taking drugs?

We generally go for the distributors rather than individual consumers.

What quantities of drugs have been seized by the NCB?

The amount of drugs seized between April 1999 and March 2000 is as under:
Heroin -- 892kg
Hashish -- 3,537kg
Methaqualone -- 435kg
Opium -- 1,615kg
Acetic Anhydride -- 3,059 litres

How many cases of drug peddling are still pending?

The cases under investigations are normally disposed of in three months.

What are the prominent areas of drug smuggling in India?

Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. These states are opium-growing areas and opium is converted into morphine and heroin and smuggled into the metros.

Is there any political patronage for drug-smuggling?

Not as yet.

Photograph: Pana India; Design: Dominic Xavier

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