New report flags terror, Internet links to drug trade in South Asia

The illegal drug trade is rising in India and across South Asia, according to a new report that also warns that the trade is being used to fund terrorism.

The annual report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) 2023 shows that 39% of the world’s opiate users reside in South Asia.

The report also highlights India's prominence as the primary market for opiates, noting an increased number of incidences of trafficking and the illicit opium cultivation in the country’s northeastern region. It also cautions about the influx of heroin from South-West Asia, particularly Afghanistan.

Presenting key findings from the report at a special event this week at UN House in New Delhi, Jagjit Pavadia, INCB member and Chair of the Committee on Finance and Administration, stressed the importance of evidence-based treatments for drug users, especially those from vulnerable demographics. 

Ms. Pavadia also highlighted the environmental hazards linked to the drug trade, such as the detrimental impact of spraying illicit substances on crops and the carbon footprint associated with drug production.

The report outlines a worrying trend: more drugs are being sold online, making them easier to get. Cyber-enabled drug trafficking is on the rise, which means illegal drugs are being sold on the dark web and crypto-markets. There are also more illegal online pharmacies selling drugs without needing a prescription.

Senior Indian Government officials from the Department of Revenue, the Narcotics Control Bureau, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the All India Institute Of Medical Science (AIIMS) participated in the report launch.

The discussions disclosed how profits from drug trafficking are increasingly being funneled into funding terrorism and supporting armed groups. 

On rising incidents of narco-terrorism, the Deputy Director General of India’s Narcotics Control Bureau, Ms. Monika Ashish Batra, said: “Investigations indicate that proceeds of drug trafficking are increasingly being used to fund terrorism, and to support armed groups.”

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) Regional Representative for South Asia, Marco Teixeira, noted that the UN has been providing local officers with hands-on training sessions on interdictions, investigations, seizures and prosecutions.

“The collaboration between the Government of India, INCB and UNODC South Asia has allowed us to stay ahead of the curve by enriching officers' expertise with capacity building and training,” said Mr. Sunil Kumar Sinha, Principal Additional Director General, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.

Professor Yatan Pal Singh Balhara of the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre at AIIMS New Delhi emphasized a balanced approach, identifying effective prevention, treatment, and harm reduction as key to addressing the drug problem.

Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator for India, underlined how the efforts to combat drugs are inter-connected to broader initiatives aimed at enhancing public health, reinforcing the rule of law, and fostering peace and security. 

UNODC works to educate people throughout the world about the dangers of drug abuse and to strengthen international action against illicit drug production and trafficking and drug-related crime. 

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