Narcotics smuggling on the rise in India
World
In Oct 2024, cocaine was seized from pharmaceutical company of Gujarat
NEW DELHI (Web Desk) – Smuggling of narcotics in India increased substantially in recent years.
The recent surge in smuggling of narcotics in India began when Indian PM Narendra Modi held the reins of power in 2014. Due to Modi’s deregulated and failed policies narco-trade in India reached new heights.
Along with the increase in smuggling routes and domestic drug laboratories, there was also a significant increase in the number of seized drugs.
In October 2024, 518 kilograms of cocaine was seized from a pharmaceutical company of Gujarat, which showed its links with Indian drug cartels.
According to 2024 report of UNODC, India has become a hub of illegal drug shipments from where precursor elements are reaching meth-labs across the globe.
India is playing a key role in development of meth-crisis in the world. Illegal meth-producing labs have become major suppliers of drugs in Central America, Africa and Asia.
Recently a meth-lab operated by Nigerian operators was found in the Indian capital New Delhi which showed the Indian connection with global meth-supplier network.
Indian diaspora is working as a distribution network of drugs in Europe and North America. The uncontrolled narco-trade of India gave rise to domestic drug abuse especially among youth.
A parliamentary report in 2023 revealed that there were 6.6 million young drug addicts in India and out of them 0.34pc children from Indian Punjab are addicted to opioids.
In an interview with DW, Dr Yasir Rathore and Dr Sajid Muhammad Wani revealed that on daily average there were only two to three drug addicted patients in 2014. However, in 2024, this number alarmingly went up to 200 to 250 drug addicts per day.
