As authorities work to stop the movement of illegal narcotics and the foreign mafias that transport them, India has seen an alarming rise in drug trafficking over the past ten years.
Beyond the stories about unprecedented seizures and increased law enforcement efforts, the volume of the contraband points to shaky borders and inadequate precautionary measures.
The crisis is more than just a legal issue; it has profound social, economic, and political repercussions that will affect the way people live their lives in the country and the state’s potential stability.
A dramatic rise in drug-related cases is reported in data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB ). In 2023, over 100, 000 drug seizures were reported, up from 70, 000 in 2014—a nearly 43 % increase in just a decade.
This increase, while reflecting increased police, also reveals that India’s edges remain susceptible and traffickers continue to utilize shortcomings.
The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs reported a boom in the smuggling of cocaine, methamphetamines and hemp, with cocaine seizures doubling from 1, 300 pounds in 2017 to 2, 400 pounds in 2022.
One of the primary spots is the India-Pakistan borders. In Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, drug cartels are utilizing mainly weak security.
In 2022, Punjab officers seized 440 kilograms of cocaine, a 35 % increase from 2020. However, drug smuggling via India’s southern routes has even spiked. In 2023, 3, 000 pounds of cocaine were intercepted along the Gujarat beach, a 50 % leap from 2018 that has exposed widespread gaps in maritime security.
Federal officials claim that these higher seizures are a result of better protection, but they also show that there is more wrong with them. The resilience of drug smuggling suggests that India’s frontiers are not adequately protected from the crossfire of international cartels.
With significant drug statues recorded at crucial access points, border state like Punjab, Gujarat, and West Bengal are especially affected.
For example, in 2021, officials seized 3, 000 pounds of cocaine at Gujarat’s Adani Mundra Port, marking one of India’s largest-ever drug busts and underscoring the growing level of these illegal operations.
Most recently, just days after Delhi police uncovered one of India’s largest drug busts with a cocaine haul worth over ₹5, 600 crore ( US$ 747.6 million ), authorities seized mephedrone and its raw materials valued at over ₹1, 400 crore ($ 159 million ) from a factory in Bhopal.
In 2022, heroin alone, priced between ₹5 and ₹10 crore ($ 667, 000 to$ 1.33 million ) per kilogram—amounted to ₹31, 500 crore ($ 4.2 billion ) in seized contraband.
The 3, 000 kilograms of methamphetamines seized in 2021, worth between ₹1, 500 crore to ₹3, 000 crore ($ 200 to$ 400 million ), highlights how synthetic drugs are becoming the new frontier of the crisis.
These less expensive, easier-to-find ingredients are also pushing the boundaries of law enforcement.
International cartels are mainly responsible for this expanding drug trade. Over 70-80 % of heroin trafficked into India is believed to come from the notorious” Golden Crescent” —an area comprising Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran—and the infamous” Golden Triangle”, a lawless region where Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet.
Northeast India, especially says like Manipur and Mizoram, which borders Myanmar, has become a significant transport hub for meth smuggling.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has been restructured and empowered since 2014, with the creation of the Narco Coordination Mechanism (NCORD ) in 2016 to enhance inter-agency coordination.
While these methods have led to an upsurge in convulsions, the fundamental issue remains unanswered: India’s drug smuggling networks are expanding faster than the government’s ability to have them.
The major 50 most drug-affected districts, especially those in frontier states, are now seeing a dramatic increase in drug-related offense.
NCRB data indicates a 20 % increase in narcotics-related crimes over the past decade, with over 55, 000 cases registered annually under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances ( NDPS) Act.
Despite stepped-up work, medications continue to flow through key details, from airports and seaports to rail stations. In the face of this growing crisis, India’s federal has also launched numerous demand-reduction activities.
The” Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan”, an anti-drug campaign, aims to provide “de-addiction” services to over 200, 000 people by 2025.
Nevertheless, the sheer volume of drug trafficking raises doubts as to whether such activities will be sufficient. The societal costs, however, are mounting. Rising addiction prices, especially among the youngsters, are fuelling violence, straining public health resources and undermining social balance.
India’s battle against medication trafficking has reached a turning point. The history seizures no longer suffice as proof of police success.
The nation must address the root causes of this issue by strengthening global cooperation, especially with neighboring nations, which are major narcotics exporters.
Failure to do so will cause the drug industry to escalate unchallenged, which will have a negative impact on India’s steadiness and well-being in the future.
A more complete strategy is needed, one that favors stronger border controls, better global cooperation, enhanced public recognition and a focus on treatment. If India does not react fast, the implications could be fatal.
Sachi Satapathy is chairman of Ac Development Care, New Delhi, India. The writer may become reached at [email protected]