Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Annual Report 2024

Context: The Union Home minister released the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Annual Report-2024 and launched the Online Drug Disposal Campaign at the inaugural session of the second National Conference of the Heads of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of states and Union Territories.

Drug Trafficking Scenario in India

• Vulnerable Geostrategic Location: Lies between two major global drug belts:
  • “Death Crescent” – Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran (major opium/heroin producers).
  • “Death Triangle/Golden Triangle” – Myanmar, Thailand, Laos (synthetic drugs and opium).
  • This makes India a transit as well as a destination country for narcotics.
• Border Vulnerabilities:
  • Punjab, Rajasthan, J&K → Heroin inflow from Pakistan.
  • North-East states → Spillover from Myanmar.
  • Coastal states (Mumbai, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu) → Smuggling of synthetic drugs & precursors.
• Emerging Trends in Trafficking:
  • Shift towards synthetics: Growing use of methamphetamine, LSD, and mephedrone.
  • Clandestine labs: Unearthed in hotspots like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, and the North-East.
  • Darknet & crypto: Online marketplaces and cryptocurrency enable anonymous global transactions.
  • Maritime routes: Drugs are smuggled through Chabahar, Gwadar, and Karachi ports into India.
  • New technologies: Drones are increasingly used for cross-border narcotics delivery (India–Pakistan border).

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