By Dr AP Maheshwari
We have recently celebrated the International Day on Drug abuse and illicit trafficking! We are fully aware about the supply chain emanating from the Golden crescent and Golden Triangle that are impacting India in so many ways . They are a conduit as well as a phenomenon of spillover market and terror funding. Similar challenges are posed by Pakistan-Afghanistan as well as China-Myanmar borders that have been exploited by the players in the field. These cartels have not only collaborated with arms suppliers & human traffickers but have also been using local criminal networks and local insurgent as well as the terror elements. In a way it has become a dangerous proxy war tool in the hand of those who believe in it.
If we analyse the Indian scenario, illicit trafficking is now following all the routes. Waterways, where during operation Samudra-Gupta NCB and Navy sized 2500 kg of Metha valued over Rs 15000 crores originating from Pakistan; air routes where Pakistan has been supplying drugs through drones across the border in Punjab and the land routes that have been used across J&K, Nepal border and Northeastern segments. Less inhabited islands have also been exploited for the purpose. The synergetic results by Indian Coast Guards along with intelligence agencies and the agencies of neighbouring countries distinctly throw complete light on the impending dangers.
The action by the border guarding forces ends up in arresting the local couriers and seizing the consignments. These are, in a way, the running stocks for the dealers of drug or terror but then they too must be factoring in such contingencies. Hence, the real challenge lies in investigating such cases across all geographics that are relevant and reach to the real villains. This is fraught with more critical matters of diplomatic relations, regional or international police cooperation as well as jurisprudence.
Even within the country, central as well as federal set up dealing with policing, border guarding, intelligence, financial conduits etc. need to be on the same page. Whereas, task forces have been made and they periodically or on SOS basis do exchange data but a real mission mode is perhaps missing. Then there are leakages in the controlled cultivation and manufacturing systems of narcotics that are permitted for varied medicinal and other purposes.
Investigations have also revealed as to how Pakistan based terror elements or Khalistan supporters abroad and other such cartels have exploited the locals in the country as well as those migrating as NRIs. South American drug cartels as well as those operating in Canada, Europe, Australia, Hong Kong or Singapore axis have come to light in so many instances.
As per the reports, India has also become a major conduit for supply of drugs through the Darknet. Unfortunately, very educated people are involved in it, using different digital supply platforms.
The traditional narcotics have also been supplemented and at a few places substituted by synthetic drugs and that is a bigger threat now as they have different form, place or time utility factors. Punjab, Rajasthan and North Eastern states face a major threat, where as it has spread to various towns across the country in varied propositions.
This brings us to the point of discussion on the demand side too. It requires public awareness on a large scale similar to what we had done in case of the anti-smoking campaign, including frequent events and discussions. Secondly, do we amend the laws to restore old traditions where less fatal combinations were permitted as social practice or controlled outlets are created. Some researchers from AIIMS, New Delhi conducted systematic study in these fields to prove the point that the option of some controlled outlet should be provided. This would be akin to the principle of bearing a lessor loss for the sake of avoiding greater damage.
The third important aspect would be to augment technical surveillance, use AI tools making optimal use of the best of data available, integrating the varied sources.
Further, community involvement should be increased for the reasons that the community has many experts that the government system doesn’t possess, amidst fast changing technology as well as cyber space and also because many things are now directly happening on the civic society turf. Dark net surveillance and crypto currency captures are the examples in this context where even selective success has brought substantive results. Percentage of experts in the official domains, via one survey, is even lesser than thirty percent. Why not, therefore, admit experts from the community as partners for which necessary protocols may be drawn. Silos culture thus needs to be mitigated.
While celebrating the 75th year of Independence, we resolved to more towards a drugs free India. Whereas all the Central and State agencies as well as concerned ministries need to make persistent efforts through integrated task force mechanism under mission mode, a nationwide campaign needs to be launched on all forums, real or virtual, formal or informal in an intensive manner and on a continuous basis for at least a few years till the community cognition are reshaped to neutralise any pro-drug move in the bud itself.
Last, but not the least, a judicious use of investigative tools, backed by necessary ‘forensic-analytics’, as irreversible evidence, be made and a fast-track trial mechanism be put in place. A more effective and vibrant system, for detection as well as deterrence, is the need of the hour. In this context, the recent move of the UP government to activate fast track courts in selected towns is a welcoming move. This is in sync with the intensive efforts being made by the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF). Such holistic efforts would definitely yield results, as has also been done by some other states. The four tier Narco-Coordination mechanism evolved by MHA is also providing a strong real time platform for federal integration. However, sporadic reports on cultivation of or trafficking in narcotic substances, flowing from border-cum-insurgency prone areas or areas affected by Maoist violence, still need our collective attention.
To conclude, we must go beyond the rituals and get into a perpetual mission mode to neutralise the threats that are not only rupturing Nation’s human terrain but also generating favourable proxy-war options for the adversaries.
The author is former DG, Bureau of Police Research and Development & also DG CRPF.
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