Introduction [a] Drug trafficking is a non-traditional security threat that has consequences for public health and safety, and undermines political stability and economic development. Globally, drug trafficking flows are valued at US$650 billion, accounting for 30 percent of the total illicit economy. [1] India’s Northeastern Region (NER) has been grappling with the challenge of drug trafficking since the 1970s, primarily due to the region’s proximity to the Golden Triangle. [b] The unfenced, porous Indo-Myanmar border facilitates a substantial flow of narcotics into India, impacting the socio-economic fabric of this region.
Authors
- Attribution
- Sreeparna Banerjee, “From Poppy Fields to Black Markets: Understanding the Drug Trade Across India and Myanmar,” Occasional Paper No. 450 , October 2024, Observer Research Foundation.
- Pages
- 35
- Published in
- India
Table of Contents
- A Superimposed Border 5
- The Free Movement Regime FMR 5
- Geography 6
- Border Surveillance 7
- The topography of the India- Myanmar border increases its 7
- Opium Production 9
- Figure 1 Opium Production and Yields in Myanmar 10
- Synthetic Drugs 11
- Drug Trafficking Trends 14
- Illicit Poppy Cultivation in Manipur 14
- Routes of Drug Trafficking 16
- Persistent Challenges 17
- The Legal Mechanism in India 19
- Figure 2 Destruction of Manipur Poppy Plantations 20
- Bilateral and Multilateral Mechanisms 21
- Political Instability in Myanmar 23
- Discontinuation of the FMR 23
- Shortcomings of the Eradication Methods 24
- Lack of Comprehensive Approaches 24
- Nexus Between Politicians Law Enforcement and Drug Kingpins 25
- Surveillance Along Border Areas 26
- Strengthening Regional Mechanisms 26
