Anti-narcotics agencies have also witnessed a six-time increase in the seizure of synthetic drugs between 2019-24, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said in its annual report for 2024.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah released the report during the 2nd national conference of heads of anti-narcotics task force (ANTF) of various states and UTs that he inaugurated on Tuesday.
The NCB is a federal anti-narcotics agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“The use of drones for cross-border smuggling of narcotics has emerged as a significant threat to India’s internal security, particularly along the Pakistan border in Punjab.
“This evolving modus operandi has replaced traditional smuggling methods and poses a complex challenge for law enforcement and border security agencies,” the report, accessed by PTI, said. It added that there has been a “sharp” increase in drone sightings and recoveries of narcotics in border districts of the state like Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Gurdaspur. In 2024, the number of such seizures “rose manifolds” reaching 179 cases as compared to just three cases in 2021. The recovered drug consignments largely included heroin and opium, the report said.
Out of the 179 cases of drug trafficking through drones along the India-Pakistan border reported last year, 163 took place in Punjab, 15 along the same front in Rajasthan and one in Jammu and Kashmir.
The total drug recovery was about 236 kgs, according to the report.
The report said a “significant” trend was noticed with the seizure of six-time higher synthetic drugs over the last six years (2019-24) in the country. These drugs included ATS (amphetamine type stimulants), MDMA, mephedrone and methaqualone abused mainly by youngsters.
“In 2024, about 11,994 kgs of synthetic drugs were seized compared to just 1,890 kgs in 2019. This sharp rise is primarily driven by the high profitability and increasing market demand for these substances,” said the report that compiles all-India figures on narcotics.
The seizure of synthetic drugs in the country during 2020 stood at 1,989 kgs, 657 kgs in 2021, 4,216 kgs in 2022 and 4,209 kgs in 2023.
The report also expressed concern over the “dramatic” increase in drugs seized from the maritime front since 2020.
In 2024, seizures from the sea amounted to 10,564 kgs witnessing a nearly 500-fold surge as compared to 2019, it said.
India’s “strategic” location in the Indian Ocean, as per the report, positions it as a key transit hub for heroin sourced from Afghanistan via the southern route.
The ‘Death Crescent’ (comprising countries of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan) remains the “primary” source of heroin, ATS and hashish entering the country through the western coast while the ‘Death Triangle’ (Maynamar, Laos and Thailand) serves as the “main supplier” of synthetic drugs particularly methamphetamine smuggled through India’s eastern coast.
The major ports for loading and shipping these consignments are Chabahar (Iran) and Gwadar and Karachi in Pakistan, the report said.
It also said there was a “staggering” increase in seizures of cocaine in the country.
In 2024, anti-narcotics agencies across the country seized 1,483 kgs of cocaine, which was about 78 times higher than what was seized in 2020 and about five times higher than in 2023, according to the report.
Other drugs that saw a “sharp” increase included mephedrone (also known as 4-MMC or meow meow), a much abused party drug, as the agencies seized 3,359 kgs of the contraband across the country in 2024 as compared to 275 kgs in 2020.
Taking drugs through injections was a “rising concern” as in 2024 the agencies seized over 2.75 lakh units (injections) valued at Rs 4.54 crore with states like Punjab and Maharashtra witnessing “high volumes” of their seizure, the report said.
It also said that an all-time high detention orders at 531 were issued under the rarely used provisions of the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act, resulting in detention of 483 people during 2024 as compared to 93 detentions under 107 such orders during 2020.
The Union home ministry has been asking anti-drugs agencies to use PITNDPS more often to target drug cartels, kingpins and financiers. The Act provides for the “detention of persons concerned in any manner with illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for one or two year(s) with a view to preventing them from engaging in such harmful and prejudicial activities”.
The NCB report also spoke about the emergence of a new synthetic drug called mescaline. The emergence of this psychedelic drug signals a “shift” towards synthetic hallucinogens.
as a Reliable and Trusted News SourceAbout 25.04 kgs of mescaline was seized by the agencies in 2024, the report said.
