How drug traffickers and terrorist groups are interlinked

Prime minister Narendra Modi on December 14 drew the country’s attention to the problem of drugs.

In his third Mann ki Baat radio address, he said drug money was being channelled to terrorists. Here are some statistics to provide a context to his address:

Drugs and Terrorism

Though extensive data on the links between drug traffickers and terrorist groups is not available, heroin which comes into India through its border with Pakistan accounted for 40-50% of heroin seizures in 2012.

Drug trafficking in the North East has been linked to militant groups. A Manipuri smuggler arrested with 200 kg of ephedrine in 2011 was alleged to be associated with one such group.

Media reports have emerged of Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram making inroads into the drug trade in India. Nigerians dominate the market for drugs like cocaine and methaqualone and there have been multiple arrests of Nigerian nationals, especially in Goa.



Source: Narcotics Control Bureau, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), National Crime Records Bureau, media reports