Page 12 - The Indian EYE 080522

OPINION AUGUST 05, 2022 | The Indian Eye 12

The biggest haul of synthetic drugs in the Shan state of Myanmar last year Opium production in Myanmar has gone down

industry. The northeast region faces the role of Myanmar junta, whose of India and five ASEAN countries France, Germany and Italy, and even
shortage of staff and equipment to legitimacy is being challenged by (Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambo- in Australia) who were using dark
tackle the illicit traffic of drugs. a shadow National Unity Govern- dia and Vietnam) adopted the MGC web to sell drugs.
India’s NCB works with several ment. Even so, India’s NCB should Plan of Action for 2019–22, which The persons involved in grow-
international agencies like SAARC continue to enhance its cooperation includes cooperation in sectors such ing, making, and peddling of illicit
Drug Offences Monitoring Desk, with Myanmar’s Central Committee as Micro, Medium and Small Enter- substances have been observed to be
BRICS, Colombo Plan Drug Adviso- for Drug Abuse Control. It may be prises (MSMEs), skill development from a lower socio-economic back-
ry Program, ASEAN Senior Officials useful to revive and strengthen this and capacity building, among others. ground. Often, they are struggling
on Drug Matters, BIMSTEC, United cooperation. More concerted dia- MGC member countries may also to find work, and may be compelled
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime logue in BIMSTEC on issues of in- deliberate on incorporating rehabil- into doing such a job due to ab-
(UNODC), and International Nar- ter-state drug trade logistics, border itation measures for drug offenders. sence of alternatives. The Covid-19
cotics Control Board (INCB), among security, identification of vulnerable Trafficking of illicit drugs is a pandemic has dealt a major blow to
others, to combat the illicit trade of populations, investment in rehabili- global problem and places such as the those earning their livelihood in the
drugs. Given that Myanmar is the tation centers, and role of Myanmar Golden Triangle are its hotspots. The unorganized sector, with millions
most significant site for drug produc- authorities may be helpful in tackling drug money is used to finance crim- becoming jobless across the world.
tion, more focused efforts at engag- the growing problem. inal activities and even terrorism. One estimate from the Internation-
ing Naypyitaw over the issue may be External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Multilateral cooperation of South al Labor Organization suggests that
useful from an Indian perspective. Jaishankar at the 11th Mekong-Gan- and Southeast Asian countries in the 72 million people in the G20 econ-
India, Bangladesh, Thailand and ga Cooperation (MGC) meeting, banking sector for tracing of illicit omies were employed in the sectors
Myanmar are all members of BIM- held via videoconference on 21 July money from drug trade can be very hardest-hit by Covid-19 pandemic. In
STEC, which makes it the suitable 2022, stated that a “multidimension- helpful in dealing with the trans-na- absence of a social security umbrella,
platform to coordinate activities at al engagement with the Mekong re- tional nature of this menace. One the marginalized and unemployed
countering this menace. gion” was desirable for India. The such international joint operation in persons in developing countries have
The BIMSTEC sub-group on MGC can play an important role 2021 led by the US Department of been greatly affected, and in many
‘Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in in rehabilitation of individuals who Justice and Europol successfully led circumstances, forced to take up un-
Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Sub- have been forced to take up drug to the arrest of 150 drug peddlers wanted or illegal work. In order to
stances and Precursor Chemicals’ trafficking. The group comprising (in US and European countries like prevent the vulnerable population
held its 6th meeting virtually in from falling into the network of nar-
October 2021. Secretary-Gener- cotics trade, governments may intro-
al, Tenzin Lekphell, informed the duce social security schemes and lay
participant nations that the ‘BIMS- special focus on generating employ-
TEC Convention on Cooperation in ment for them.
Combating International Terrorism, Akash Sahu is a Research Analyst with
Transnational Organized Crime and the Centre for Southeast Asia and Oce-
Illicit Drug Trafficking’ came into ania at Manohar Parrikar Institute for
force from March 2021, after ratifi- Defense Studies and Analyses (MP-ID-
cation. Under the convention, mem- SA), New Delhi
ber countries can share information Views expressed are of the author and
about persons involved in trafficking do not necessarily reflect the views of
activities, coordinate their approach- the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
es, and facilitate law enforcement Government of India.
activities. At the October 2021 meet-
ing, member states also discussed This is the abridged version of the In-
setting up of hotline for focal points troduction of the book which appeared
and BIMSTEC Drug Offences Mon- first in the Comment section of the
itoring Desk for intelligence sharing. Narcotics Control Board (NCB) of India is trying to check the inflow of website (www.idsa.in) of Manohar Par-
The caveat in multilateral ef- synthetic drugs into the country rikar Institute for Defense Studies and
forts to address the drug problem is Analyses, New Delhi on July 27, 2022

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