Colombo Plan members to check smuggling of drugs on seas

NEW DELHI: The members of the Colombo Plan said there is an urgent need for creation of a regional maritime working group since smuggling of narcotics on the high seas appears to have reached an all-time high after security was beefed up in the wake of the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai.

At a meeting in Delhi to discuss illegal drug trade in Southeast Asia, attended by seven members of the multilateral organisation including India, the grouping decided that all its members will maintain a database of information and share intelligence.

"A contact person will also be designated by national agencies of member countries for narcotic intelligence dissemination," the grouping said in a statement issued after the meeting.

A Narcotics Control Bureau official said that detection of smuggling of contraband had increased ever since naval security was beefed up in the wake of the 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai that India maintains was planned and executed from Pakistan, which has also been considered an important transit point for smuggling of drugs in the past.

"The increased presence of naval forces to counter the threat of terrorism in the Indian Ocean region has resulted in significant seizures of narcotics consignments over the last two years," said the official, who did not wish to be identified. The participants at the meeting observed that there has been a sharp increase in use of internet for selling drugs. "This poses a huge problem for law enforcement agencies as they are unable to trace the computers used by buyers and sellers," said an officer. Cannabis and cocaine are the most popular drugs on internet, he said. The participants agreed that a study needs to be conducted for framing a cyber policy to control sale of drugs.

"All member states considered the recommendation of a study on cyber drug crime to be conducted by the Colombo Plan," the statement said.