India-Pak. border sees a sharp rise in drone-driven drug smuggling cases, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• Drone-driven drug smuggling along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab has increased dramatically, with seizures rising from 3 cases in 2021 to 179 in 2024.
• Drug law enforcement agencies registered 96,930 cases across India in the past year, arresting over 1.22 lakh people, including 660 foreign nationals.
• Approximately 13,306 quintals of narcotic substances were confiscated, with cannabis accounting for 41% and opiates (including heroin) about 39% of the total seizures.
• The NCB registered 417 cases and arrested 588 accused in the past year, seizing significant quantities of ganja, hashish, heroin, and other narcotics.

Detailed Insights:

• The use of drones for cross-border smuggling poses a significant threat to India's internal security, particularly in border districts like Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozpur, and Gurdaspur.
• Coastal routes are increasingly exploited for smuggling synthetic drugs and precursors, with India's location making it a key transit hub for Afghan heroin.
• The 'Death Crescent' (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran) remains the primary source of heroin, ATS, and hashish, while the 'Death Triangle' (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos) supplies synthetic drugs, especially methamphetamine.
• Cocaine seizures saw a staggering increase, with 1,483 kg seized in 2024, about 78 times more than in 2020 and five times higher than in 2023, indicating a shift in smuggling trends.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB): The apex drug law enforcement agency in India, responsible for combating drug trafficking and abuse.
• Death Crescent: A region comprising Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, known for being a major source of illicit opiates and other drugs.
• Death Triangle: An area including Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos, recognized as a primary region for the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs.