Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Enforcement agencies shall prepare themselves to face multifaceted challenges posed by drug mafia in the digital era, former CBI director Rishi Shukla said while addressing the inaugural session of the 4th National Conferencefor Drug Law Enforcement here at CAPT on Thursday.

Shukla emphasised the critical importance of the two-day event. He highlighted the role of the conference in uniting key stakeholders from law enforcement, regulatory bodies and related organisations to confront multifaceted challenges posed by drug mafia in the digital era.

Anil Kishore Yadav, director of the academy, introduced the conference’s theme, ‘The Dark Web, Cryptocurrencies and Money Laundering: A Trifecta of Drug Trafficking Challenges and the Need for Comprehensive Prevention and Rehabilitation.’ He outlined how these digital challenges exacerbate the complexity of drug trafficking and stressed the importance of collaborative, actionable strategies for prevention, rehabilitation and enforcement.

Conference Secretary BK Sharma highlighted the diverse representation at the conference. Attendees include senior officials from prominent organisations such as the BSF, Coast Guard, CISF, SSB, NCB, Assam Rifles, RPF, CBI, NIA, IB, SPG, DRI, NACIN, ED and FIU as well as State Anti-Narcotics Task Forces (SANTF). Other key participants include representatives from the Drugs Controller General of India, the Department of State Taxes and Excise, the Narcotics Commissioner of India, the UNODC, leading NGOs and allied organisations.