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OPINION AUGUST 05, 2022 | The Indian Eye 10

Increased Drug Trade in Golden Triangle:

What are the Security Implications?

Some recent measures by the Indian government to control drug trafficking include setting up of the Narco Coordina-

tion Centre in 2016, a mechanism under the NCB which was restructured in 2019 into a four-tier district-level scheme

AKASH SAHU Much of the precursor chemi- ven for entry of drugs such as yaba point in the southwest, and Patuakh-
cals are sourced easily from across and heroin. Consignments of heroin ali through the sea routes.
he Shan state of Myanmar is the border in China to the Shan seized in Indian cities like Guwa- Some recent measures by the
the largest producer of ille- state, while some amounts are also hati and Dimapur have originated Indian government to control drug
Tgal drugs within the infamous procured from India. Myanmar’s in- from the Golden Triangle. Myan- trafficking include setting up of
Golden Triangle—a tri-junction at stability has encouraged expansion mar’s heroin and meth enter India the Narco Coordination Centre in
the Myanmar, Laos and Thailand in production capacities, especially at two points, Moreh in Manipur 2016, a mechanism under the NCB
borders. Unregulated production of yaba (meth pills), which can be and Champai in Mizoram. Precursor which was restructured in 2019 into
and trafficking of drugs poses multi- produced with much less effort in chemicals, like ephedrine, acetic an- a four-tier district-level scheme. An
faceted threats, including those relat- cottage industries. Analysts note that hydride and pseudo ephedrine, are e-portal, Seizure Information Man-
ed to law and order, social problems most key individuals controlling the sourced from places in South India agement System, was also launched
associated with increased addiction, trade are pro-junta businessmen as like Chennai and transported to Kol- in 2019 under the Narcotics Drugs
and transnational crimes with illicit well as ethnic militia. kata and Guwahati via Delhi before and Psychotropic Substances Act, for
money fueling insurgent activities in After the 2021 coup in Myan- being smuggled across the border to better coordination of all drug law
the region and beyond. Enhanced mar, more than 330 million yaba Myanmar, highlighting domestic se- enforcement agencies.
multilateral cooperation of South pills have been seized by Thailand’s curity gaps. The NCB is the primary agency
and Southeast Asian countries in the Office of Narcotics Control Board. Large amounts of Myanmar’s responsible for curbing the trade in
banking sector for tracing of illicit The seizure of crystal meth or ‘ice’ narcotics, especially yaba pills, have illicit drugs and precursor chemi-
money from drug trade can be very has been the same as in the previous apparently entered into every “town cals. NCB shares intelligence with
helpful in curbing such trade. There year, at 15 tonnes. An estimate by the and village” in Bangladesh through other agencies like Directorate of
is also the need to strengthen social International Crisis Group suggests porous hilly borders, according to Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Cen-
security schemes and employment an annual production out of Shan far enforcement authorities. Thousands tral Board of Excise and Customs
opportunities to reduce incentives for exceeding 250 tonnes of ice. Reports of peddlers have been arrested and (CBEC), and Central Reserve Po-
marginalized and unemployed per- suggest an exponential increase in hundreds suspected of indulging in lice Force (CRPF) for better coor-
sons to participate in drug trade. the retail price of meth as it reach- drugs trade have been killed by Ban- dination. The Border Security Force
The Shan state of Myanmar is es lucrative markets of Australia and gladesh security personnel. The Ro- (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB),
the largest producer of illegal drugs Japan from Myanmar. hingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Railway
within the infamous Golden Trian- Billions of dollars of illicit money, with an estimated population of 1.2 Protection Force (RPF) and the Na-
gle—a tri-junction at the Myanmar, is therefore, being accumulated out- million, are being used to route al- tional Investigation Agency (NIA)
Laos and Thailand borders. Before side Myanmar in large urban centers, most 80 per cent of yaba pills into the also take required actions to control
Afghan drug produce flooded the in- as a result of the drug trade flowing country with several gangs engaged drug trafficking under the Narcotics
ternational market in the 1990s, the from the Golden Triangle. The high- in trafficking. The Arakan Army, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances
Golden Triangle was the largest pro- end markets for these drugs include which is fighting the regime in the Act of 1985. India has entered into
ducer of heroin in the world. Since Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Rakhine state of Myanmar, raises 26 bilateral agreements to tackle the
the 2010s, however, production of South Korea, Russia, the US, and the funds for its activities through selling threat of drug trade.
the more potent and profitable meth- UK, with profits in 2019 estimated at of yaba pills in Bangladesh. It is also India’s drug enforcement chal-
amphetamine has made the region, over US$ 71 billion. reported that yaba pills enter into lenge is accentuated by the country’s
the world’s largest producer and ex- India’s long, porous land bor- Bangladesh from India via Kurigram large size and a huge pharmaceutical
porter of meth. der with Myanmar provides safe ha- district in the north, Fatehpur border Continued at next page... >>

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