According to officials in the DRI and NCB, India is now a transit point for drug trafficking, as heroin seizures increased from 8 kg in 2018 to over 3,000 kg in 2021. Under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, the Narcotics Control Bureau is tasked with cracking down on drug trafficking and the use of illegal substances, while the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) is in charge of anti-smuggling matters. Despite multiple travel restrictions, officials in the federal agencies told News18.com that state-level agencies also saw a rise in heroin seizures during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The smuggling of heroin has risen dramatically over the past four years. India appears to becoming a transit point for smugglers. According to a senior DRI official in south India responsible for handling a port, agencies have improved controls at all the ports, which are typically the most popular route for smugglers these days. Afghanistan’s increase in the cultivation of opium is cited as one of the reasons for the massive jump. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported that opium poppy cultivation has increased by 37% in Afghanistan since the Taliban assumed control in August.
The DRI says it seized 7.98 kg of heroin in 2018-19, and 9.16 kg of heroin the following year. When the pandemic hit the country last year, seizures increased by more than 2,000% and around 202 kg of heroin was seized. In spite of the initial shock, the seizure pales in comparison to the 3,000 kg consignment of heroin worth Rs 21,000 crore seized in Mundra Port in Gujarat in September.
The DRI data shows that seizures at the agency have increased by nearly 37,400% between 2018 and 2021. Apart from these seizures, the DRI missed a shipment in June this year, which was suspected to contain close to 6,000 kg of heroin. The National Investigation Agency is investigating both the September seizure and the one missed in June – alleged to be parts of the same international smuggling racket. Sadly, only 10% of heroin is seized in the U.S.
A rise in heroin seizures has also been noticed by the NCB. Based on the data compiled by the nodal agency, police forces in various states seized 825 kg of heroin in 2017, which increased to 913 kg the following year. In 2020, the year of the pandemic, this figure jumped to 3,276 kg, up 41% from 2,308 kg in 2019. State police figures on heroin seizures rose by 400% from 2017 to 2020.
NCB officials estimate that heroin seizures are at an all-time high. ‘We have noticed the trend and are expecting all-time high heroin seizures this year. It is because of the change in the smuggling route. Now smugglers are sending thousands of kilograms of heroin in one single consignment instead of sending it through cargo wherein they used to send 1 or 2 kg. The Taliban in Afghanistan selling drugs at a cheaper price to western countries and supplying via India,’ the official said.
Via India? Why?
Iran and Iraq were once the preferred transit points for drugs, but now India is the preferred route, according to former Punjab DGP Shashikant Sharma. ‘Routes keep changing. Earlier, drug trade routes cut through Iran, Iraq etc and in some areas, consignments were also looted during transportation. Restrictions were also imposed by various countries and Pakistan doesn’t want to spoil its ties with these nations. So India is emerging as the primary transit route for heroin smuggling,’ Sharma said. India is a transit point, and the final destination is either Europe or the United States. Smugglers send their consignment along the shortest route. The ultimate destination of 3000 kg heroin (seized at Mundra Port) was not India.
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Recent Trends
A majority of the drug trade is conducted through maritime routes due to the anonymity associated with them. As India has a long coastline with many ports, it is susceptible to drug trafficking through maritime routes. Historically, narcotic drugs such as heroin have been smuggled on boats and ships from the Gulf region.
Challenges to Come
The biggest challenge for Indian agencies will be intercepting drug shipments. As both the NCB and the DRI admit, the volume of drugs sent via sea routes makes it difficult for agencies to monitor each consignment, and they rely only on data analytics to monitor drug shipments. Despite intercepting drug shipments, investigations and prosecutions remain mammoth tasks since the sender, recipient, and distributor are usually based outside India. Most often, agencies are only able to identify low-level facilitators operating within a country.
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