Key Points

Drugs in huge quantities are being smuggled from Myanmar into Nepal, Bangladesh and Mizoram, both the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the Intelligence Bureau have said. If one looks at the data, nearly 90 per cent of the synthetic drugs that come into India are from Myanmar.

One of the prime reasons for this increased demand is due to a drug called Yana. The Yaba table is in such high demand that the smugglers procure it at Rs 10 in Myanmar and sell it in the Indian market for anything between Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200. While the Yaba tablet has the highest demand, there is also a growing demand for methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Drug smugglers are also taking advantage of the delicate situation in Myanmar. Due to this, law enforcement has become a challenge. The drugs are coming in along with the scores of refugees, and some of them are even carriers for these smugglers.

Not all the drugs that come into India are for the Indian market. The northeastern states are being used as transit points.

The most preferred route is the 500-kilometre-long border with Mizoram. The rivers, dense forests and tough conditions are ideally not suitable for security agencies to man easily.

Taking advantage of this, the smugglers use Champhai district as the first landing point. The fact that it is close to the Tiau River also makes it a favourite landing destination for these smugglers. The Zokhawthar village, which is close to the border, is also another landing point.

From these points, the drugs are moved to Assam and then smuggled out of the country. Investigations by various agencies, including the DRI, suggest that these cartels are backed by the Chin National Army. The cartels take the support of these armed groups to protect tunnels, through which huge consignments can pass.

The methamphetamine drug trade is also a lucrative business. It is controlled by the Myanmar United Wa State Army, and it said that the trade is valued at Rs 15,0000 crore every year.

The Shan State Army, the People’s Militia Forces are big players in the heroin market. They have their laboratories in Kachin and Chin states. Most of the proceeds from the drug trade go into purchasing arms and ammunition.

The United Nations, in its report published in May this year, says that the production and trafficking of methamphetamine has risen sharply since 2021, particularly in the Shan State of Myanmar.

A record 236 tons of methamphetamine were seized in East and Southeast Asia in 2024, a 24 per cent increase from 2023. However, “the 236 tons represent only the amount seized and much more is likely reaching the streets and illicit market, said Benedikt Hofmann from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), describing the amount as “unprecedented.

Law enforcement remains a huge challenge for India. India, to its East, shares a large portion of its border with Myanmar. Moreover, India also shares a maritime border with Myanmar. This maritime route consists of Cox Bazar in Bangladesh to India.

Hence, anything that affects Myanmar automatically spills over into India, especially the northeastern states. The insurgent groups in India also back these cartels as they get huge money. This, in turn, funds insurgency in the northeastern states.

Myanmar has, over the years, become one of the biggest drug trafficking centres in the world. With absolutely no control, it has a direct effect on India’s national security.

- IANS