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106 Nigerians among 660 foreigners arrested for drug trafficking in India.
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NCB reports rising use of drones for heroin and meth smuggling.
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India vows tougher measures, targeting cartels with advanced technology.
A total of 106 Nigerians were among 660 foreign nationals arrested for drug trafficking in India in 2023, according to the annual report of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the report, released by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the 2nd National Conference of Heads of Anti-Narcotics Task Forces in New Delhi, revealed that Nepalese nationals topped the list of foreign offenders with 203 arrests. Nigerians followed with 106, while Myanmarese nationals accounted for 25. The report also listed 18 Bangladeshis, 14 Ivorians, 13 Ghanaians, and 10 Icelanders arrested for drug-related crimes.
The two-day conference, organised by the NCB, focused on strengthening coordination among states and Union Territories in combating narcotics trafficking.
Growing Drug Trafficking Networks
The report highlighted the increasing use of drones to smuggle narcotics into India. Punjab recorded 163 such cases, resulting in the seizure of 187.149 kg of heroin, 5.39 kg of methamphetamine, and 4.22 kg of opium. In Rajasthan, 15 drone-related cases were reported with 39.155 kg of heroin recovered, while Jammu and Kashmir recorded one case involving 0.344 kg of heroin.
“India faces a growing challenge in combating narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances trafficking due to its geographic location between the Death Crescent (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran) and the Death Triangle (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos), two major global drug-producing regions,” said NCB Director General Anurag Garg.
Garg further explained that states such as Punjab, Rajasthan, and Jammu and Kashmir remain vulnerable to heroin smuggling from Pakistan, while north-eastern states including Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh face threats due to their proximity to Myanmar. He added that coastal states such as Mumbai, Gujarat, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu are increasingly being exploited for smuggling synthetic drugs and chemical precursors.
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