Jaipur, Aug. 28 -- Rajasthan recorded the highest drug seizures by weight in the country for two consecutive years, topping all states and Union territories in both 2023 and 2024, according to an analysis of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data tabled in the Lok Sabha. The state seized 242,769.223 kg of narcotics in 2023 and 205,244.958 kg in 2024. While the quantity declined by about 15.5% in 2024, Rajasthan retained its position as the leading state in seizures by weight. In 2024, Odisha ranked second with seizures of 141,703.563 kg, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 95,892.885 kg, Uttar Pradesh with 73,283.983 kg and Andhra Pradesh with 52,141.237 kg. Rajasthan alone accounted for around 21.8% of the 942,571.125 kg seized across India that year. The data was provided by the Union ministry of home affairs in response to a Lok Sabha question raised by Congress MPs MK Raghavan and Adoor Prakash. Taken together, Rajasthan recorded seizures of 448,014.181 kg, during 2023 and 2024. The two-year figure was the highest among all states and Union territories. Odisha was a distant second with 313,196.109 kg during the same period. The NCRB data also records narcotics seized in terms of number of units. Rajasthan reported 427,971 units in 2023, which more than doubled to 953,187 in 2024, an increase of around 122.7%. Liquid narcotics seizures, however, moved in the opposite direction. The state recorded 5,596.99 litres in 2023, which fell sharply to 293.57 litres in 2024. The number of cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act also increased during the two years. Rajasthan registered 4,958 cases in 2023, rising to 5,246 in 2024, an increase of about 5.8%. Despite this, Rajasthan's conviction rate in NDPS cases declined from 80.8% in 2023 to 77% in 2024, remaining below the national average in both years. Overall, Rajasthan registered 10,204 cases under the NDPS Act and recorded 1,706 convictions during 2023 and 2024. The number of cases increased from 4,958 in 2023 to 5,246 in 2024, while convictions were 720 and 986 respectively. Rajasthan's conviction rate remained below the national average in both years. The all-India conviction rate stood at 83.7% in 2023 and 81.9% in 2024. The scale of enforcement has increased sharply in 2026. Rajasthan registered 7,195 NDPS cases in the first six months of the year, 37% more than the 5,246 cases recorded during the entire year of 2024. A special month-long anti-drug campaign launched by Rajasthan Police on July 20 further intensified the crackdown. In its first 20 days, police registered 848 NDPS cases and arrested 1,158 alleged traffickers. Udaipur Range alone accounted for 111 cases and 185 arrests, while Ajmer Range registered 92 cases and arrested 144 people. The rise in enforcement has coincided with investigations into increasingly complex narcotics networks operating through the state. Recent operations have pointed to alleged Pakistan-linked drone drops along the western international border, interstate opium-trafficking routes connecting Rajasthan with central and northeastern India, clandestine MD manufacturing units within the state and pharmaceutical drug trafficking concentrated in northern districts. In August, Rajasthan Police said it busted an alleged Pakistan-linked drone operation in Bikaner's Khajuwala sector and recovered 10 kg of high-purity Afghan heroin, 11 foreign-made pistols, 22 magazines and 100 rounds of ammunition. In April, the Border Security Force and police recovered another 1.56 kg of heroin allegedly dropped by a Pakistani drone in Sri Ganganagar's Karanpur sector. The seizure was part of around 16 kg of heroin reportedly recovered over three days....