As the Indian agencies continue to crack down on drug cartels and narcotic smuggling, an increasing trend of pharmaceutical drug diversions has come to light. There has been an increase in the number of such cases in Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura, the agencies have learnt.
In addition to identifying and cracking down on drug smugglers, their modus operandi and the routes they use, the agencies are closely monitoring chemical and pharmaceutical diversion. The highest number of cases relating to pharmaceutical diversion has been reported from West Bengal.
Between 2020 and 2024, the state recorded the highest number of codeine-based cough syrup bottles being seized. The Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) said that during this period, the agencies seized 27.50 lakh codeine based caught syrup bottles. During the five years, the agencies in Assam seized 1.72 crore tablets. This is the highest number of seizures relating to tablets in the country, the NCB found.
The case was similar in Tripura, where a large number of tablets and codeine-based syrup bottles were seized. An official said that newer trends are being noticed when it comes to narcotics smuggling. There are concerns all over the country, and these issues are not limited to just a particular region.
The Narendra Modi government understands the risks attached if action is not taken. This led to the Union Government declaring a war on drugs and a ‘drug-free India,’ the official explained. An Intelligence Bureau official said that another trend that is being witnessed is the use of the highway infrastructure to smuggle drugs.
Recent seizures have indicated that Haryana has become a major transit corridor for drug smuggling -- a major narcotics trafficking corridor -- which links Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Haryana is well connected both through road and rail, and smugglers tend to exploit this. They have used this corridor to smuggle marijuana, poppy husk and opium.
During the investigations into these cases, the NCB found the need for extensive highway interdiction and better logistics monitoring operations. In the period between 2020 and 2024, the agencies from this corridor have seized 1,465.99 kg of opium. In the case of marijuana and poppy husk, the numbers stood at 51,074 kg and 74,828 kg, respectively, during the same period.
Officials say that while these routes are being monitored, Manipur remains a high-value trafficking risk. This is an area of concern as the number of foreign players is higher. The Manipur trafficking route is directly linked to the Golden Triangle, which has deadly cartels dealing in very high-value drugs.
Another official said that the International players operate and the drugs that they deal with are synthetic in nature. The highest seizures are those of heroin, the NCB noted. Drugs are produced in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos and then make it into India through the Manipur route, officials say.
The agencies say that while the corridors in Northwest and Haryana remain a concern, the problem is still the highest in Punjab. The ISI has been pushing drugs into Punjab heavily and has managed to set up a well-oiled network in the state.
In Punjab, 62,245 persons were arrested during the last five years. During the same period, 5,942.29 kg of heroin were seized. Officials note that each region has a different style of consumption. If heroin is preferred in the northeastern states, in the case of Delhi, the demand is high for cocaine, mephedrone and ephedrine. In Jammu and Kashmir, it was noted during the seizures that the highest preference is for heroin and hashish. In Bihar and Jharkhand, the preference is for opium and poppy, while in Odisha, it is marijuana, the NCB has learnt.
An official said that efforts to tackle this menace would need to be immense. Not only is India dealing with its local operatives, but it is also dealing with players on the international level. The coordination between the Central and state agencies and the Intelligence Bureau is crucial to tackle this problem.
The official added that the pharmaceutical drug diversion, the extensive use of the highway and railway network and of course, the newer trends being witnessed in Punjab and northeastern states are key focus areas in this battle.
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