India Cracks Down on Pak-Linked Drug Smuggling via Golden Crescent

The Indian agencies have said that activities through the Golden Crescent have gone up considerably. There is a push by Pakistan to smuggle huge quantities of narcotics into India.

Ramping up activities at the Golden Crescent is a clear sign that the Pakistan-based operatives are trying to raise money to fund terror activities against India.

Estimates by the security agencies show that 65 per cent of the narcotics that come into India are from the Golden Crescent. The remaining come in from the Golden Triangle, which comprises Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.

Officials say that the Pakistan-based narcotic smugglers are pushing more drugs into South India today and the drugs are reaching Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Once the domestic needs are catered to, then the drugs are smuggled into Maldives and Sri Lanka. Prior to the drugs reaching the southern states, they are smuggled into Gujarat and Maharashtra. With this strategy, the cartels plan to cover both North and South India significantly.

When it comes to the northeastern states, the cartels operating from the Golden Triangle handle the job, an official said.

With Intelligence inputs suggesting that the Pakistan-based narcotic smugglers are ramping up operations, a high level meeting was held between the officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NVB), National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) and the Indian Navy.

It was decided to intensify surveillance to detect drugs coming in from the Golden Crescent. The agencies are keeping a close watch on high speed motor boats and smaller fishing boats.

Of late, the cartels are also relying on commercial shipping containers through which they are attempting to smuggle in larger quantity of drugs. The drugs that come in from the Golden Crescent largely comprise charas and methamphetamine.

With inputs suggesting a major rise in drug smuggling activity, India has also been working closely with international agencies to put a halt to the menace.

"It is important that apart from taking steps on our own, we coordinate with international agencies as well," an official said.

India would, however, be taking the lead role as it is a landing point owing to its geographical proximity to the Golden Crescent, the official also said.

While constant attempts are being made to step up drug smuggling activity, officials report that in the last three months, the activities have been down. The vigil has been stepped up and multiple agencies are working in tandem to keep the menace at bay.

In addition to disruptions being reported in the Golden Crescent supply chains due to regional stability, the Indian agencies, too, have resolved to fight this problem.

Officials say that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that the Centre wants India to be drug free.

Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, said that all departments of the government of India should prepare a road map up to 2029 and establish a time-bound review mechanism for its implementation.

He said that during the next three years, a campaign would be carried out collectively across the country to move fast towards making India drug free.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that if supplies from the Golden Crescent fall, then every attempt will be made to scale up operations from the Golden Triangle.

The cartels from these regions are inter-connected and hence they cannot be treated as separate entities.

The road map ahead would be to have coordinated efforts by multiple agencies to deal with cartels that operate both from the Golden Crescent as well the Golden Triangle, the official also added.

- IANS