On his recent visit to Chattisgarh Union Home Minister Amit Shah had asserted that illegal trade of narcotics is a threat to nation . He further emphasised that the money generated from Narco trade is further used to promote terrorism and naxalism in country and also to weaken the country’s economy . He firmly advocated for the destruction of complete network of this illegal narco cartel not only in Bharat but also of the world .
The actions of the central government also speak much about their conviction in curbing the narco terrorism from the country . NCB has been very good in the last 10 years that from the year 2004 to 2014, a total of 1250 cases were registered whereas in the 10 years from 2014 to 2024, 4150 cases have been registered with a rise of 230%. Between 2004 and 2014, there were a total of 1,360 arrests, which has now risen to 6,300. Similarly, 1 lakh 52 thousand kg of drugs were seized between 2004 and 2014 while 5 lakh 43 thousand kg of drugs were seized between 2014 and 2024, which is an increase of 257%. The value of drugs seized between 2004 to 2014 was Rs 5,900 crore while the value of drugs seized between 2014 to 2024 is Rs 22,000 crore.
Much has been done in the past ten years but still in order to completely erode the drug cartel network there is need to fight with narco terrorism through a organised approach.
What is Narco Terrorism ?
The term narco terrorism was first entered in the security lexicon in 1980s , it refers to the use of terror tactics by drug trafficking syndicates in the Latin America . Today the term narco terrorism describes the use of drug trafficking networks – routes, funding mechanisms, and incomes -by terrorist organisations .
The term was coined in 1983 by the then President of Peru, Fernando Belaunde to describe the violent acts carried out by organised criminal syndicates in Latin America against the law enforcement agencies working against the drug cartels of the region.
For narco trade , engagement with the drug trafficking provides terrorist organisations with lucrative sources of funding , with drug trafficking syndicates and terrorist organisations leveraging each other’s resources and networks to facilitate their operations. This drug cartel syndicate transcends national boundaries through a complex but interconnected web of criminal networks and terrorist activities.
The lucrativeness of the narco trade can be understand by the fact that it’s a multibillion dollar business . To understand it substantially the revenue generated from the narco business constitutes a fifth of the organised crime revenues with annual worldwide value of the narco trade estimated to be around $ 650 billion . The investment in drug trafficking is low and profits are high . Narco trade this provides the terror groups with an adequate and sustained alternative funding means .
The use of advanced tactics like cross border drone sorties by drug trafficking syndicates on the Bharat – Pakistan border , the emergence of maritime routes for narcotic smuggling and the rise of narco terrorism in the Kashmir Valley underlines the persistence of this challenge .
Narco Terrorism : Global Traffic Routes
Al- Shabaab affiliated to Al-Qaeda has taxed the trade and export of khat, a widely used narcotic plant in the East African region . In 2010 , Al-Shabaab raised US$ 5,00,000 in taxes on khat . In West Africa, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has utilised the narcotics funding through drug smuggling into the Sahel region .
In Southeast Asia , Al Qaeda and its affiliates such as Jemaah Islamiyah , are suspected of having benefitted from the region’s thriving drug trafficking hub of the ‘Golden Triangle’ (i.e. Myanmar, Lao and Thailand at the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong rivers) .
The Al Qaeda and the Haqqani Network had also gained benefits from the ‘Golden Crescent’ , South Asia’s drug-trafficking hub (spanning Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran ).
The efficiency driven nature of these networks and the involvement of ideologically motivated members underscores the intricate dynamics of narco terrorism.
Bharat and Narco terrorism : A cocktail of Financial Profit and Violence
The intent of narco terrorism in rest of the world is to make profits but in case of Bharat the phenomenon is more complex .Bharat’s experience suggests a existence of symbiotic relationship between terrorist organisations and the narco trafficking syndicates . This is evident from the fact that the drug smuggling syndicates are also taking the same route which is often used for the terrorist movements .
N.S. Jamwal in ‘Management of land borders’ mentioned that during the peak of the Khalistan movement in Punjab, extremists in Punjab made an “unholy alliance” with the drug traffickers. They used to get weapons from Pakistan with the help of drug traffickers. The traffickers arrested by the security forces confessed on many instances that the security forces on the other side allowed them to cross the border on the condition that they will deliver weapons to the terrorist organizations in India. Even after terrorism in Punjab was nabbed by the security forces, the use of drug traffickers to deliver weapons and funds to terror organizations is still in use.
Dr. Pushpita Das, Associate Fellow at the IDSA, in a report titled “Drug trafficking in India: A Case for Border Security” said that during the 1980s, the Lahore-Fazilka-Bhatinda-Delhi route became the most favoured route to send drugs in India, followed by the Attari-Wagah route. It has been alleged that the Samjhauta Express has been frequently used to transport illicit drugs from across the border.
Though the connection between Khalistan and drug trafficking via Pakistan can be traced back to more than four decades, there has been an increase in such cases in recent times.
532 KG heroin was seized on Attari Border, Amritsar in June 2019. It was being brought via trade route hidden in hundreds of rock salt bags. The main accused, Ranjeet Singh Rana, was arrested in May 2020 in Haryana. His location was revealed during interrogation Bikram Singh and Maninder Singh, who were accomplices of Hilal Ahmed Wagay, a close associate of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo. When Bikram was arrested, he was en route to deliver 29 lakh of drug money to Wagay.
In July 2019, there were ANI published a report titled “Pak – based Khalistani Terrorists smuggling drugs to fuel militancy in Punjab” that Pakistan based Khalistani terrorists are smuggling drugs in India to fuel terror-activities in Punjab. The report mentioned three instances linked to Paramjit Singh Panjwar, chief of Khalistan Commando Force, a terrorist organisation, based in Lahore since 1994. In May 2019, six Pakistani fishermen were arrested for smuggling 218 KG narcotics on Gujarat border. On 26th May the Maldivian police intercepted an Iranian boat with a Pakistani national and seized large quantity of drugs that were supposed to be delivered in India. On 10th July, based on Indian Intelligence’s inputs, Sri Lankan coast guard seized 50 KG heroin from a Pakistani boat.
According to a report published in The Hindu titled “Harmeet’s killing in Pakistan linked to fight over drug money” of February 2020, stated that the Khalistan Liberation Force leader Harmeet Singh “PHD” was killed in Pakistan over a rivalry between two groups as they wanted to have control over drug money. Singh was wanted in 17 cases by Indian security forces. The Hindu quoted an anonymous source who stated the recent increase in drug trafficking has resulted in the generation of huge money for the syndicates that they are using to push weapons for terror activities in India.
In July 2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) designated nine individuals associated with Khalistani Movement as terrorists. Out of those ten individuals, Lakhbir Singh Rode and Paramjit Singh Panjwar were designated as terrorists for their involvement in drug trafficking and anti-India activities.
However, Pakistan is not the only country which is conspiring against the Bharat . It has also got the hand of China in its nefarious design against Bharat in pushing the narco Terrorism activities against Bharat . According to the reports drugs worth 2.5 Billon rupees was seized by the Sri Lankan authorities whose origin was said to have been the Chinese controlled Gwadar Port . The Sri Lankan authority on December 6, 2020 arrested four people from the Marawila Thoduwawa area and seized the drugs originated from the Chinese-controlled Gwadar. They were transporting heroin and crystal methamphetamine (ice) to the Sri Lankan boats from the Pak Dhow that originated from Gwadar .
The report by Zee News also claimed that “The involvement of the ISI officials in the drug smuggling network is established as such regular movement of Dhow from Gwadar is not possible without tacit support from the ISI and Chinese intelligence officials” .
Bharat has been enduring the scourge of drug trafficking for three decades. The country’s proximity to two of the world’s largest illicit opium growing areas (Golden Triangle and Golden Crescent) and various external and internal factors had contributed of Bharat becoming the transit as well as a destination for narco terrorism.
But Bharat with full conviction is spearheading its fight against the narco mafias by pledging to make Bharat ‘Drug Free’ by adopting a zero tolerance policy against narcotics. In this fight against the Narcoterrorism various stakeholders ranging from governance circles to the society need to actively engage in this battle .
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