Drug Trafficking In India: An Analysis Of International Perspective
Sandus Khursheed, LL.M. Scholar (Criminology), School of Law, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal Srinagar
ABSTRACT
The complex dynamics of drug trafficking in India through an international lens, analysing how its unique geographical positioning makes it highly vulnerable to transnational organized crime.
Situated directly between two of the world’s most notorious illicit opium producing hubs the Golden Crescent (Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan) to the west and the Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand) to the east India has increasingly transitioned from a traditional transit corridor to both a major destination market and a key hub for synthetic drug manufacturing. Utilizing data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and current regional security reports, this study analyses contemporary trafficking methodologies, including the rapid expansion of maritime smuggling routes across the Indian Ocean and the utilization of the darknet and encrypted digital payment ecosystems. The paper assesses India's robust domestic legal response under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985 alongside its modern "whole-of-government" enforcement frameworks. Ultimately, the adaptive global criminal syndicates. The paper examines a strategic roadmap for enhanced international cooperation, advocating for multi-lateral intelligence sharing, harmonized regulatory oversight on precursor chemicals, and synchronized maritime surveillance to effectively dismantle transnational drug supply networks.
Keywords: Drug Trafficking, Transnational Organized Crime, Golden Crescent, Golden Triangle, NDPS Act, International Cooperation.
