New Delhi: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has asked states and Union Territories (UTs) to identify nearly 16,000 foreign nationals overstaying in India and investigate their possible involvement in crimes, including drug trafficking.
The central agency has asked the authorities to trace these individuals and take action under the new Foreigners Act, which regulates the immigration, entry, and stay of foreigners in India.
Officials said that many of these foreigners are repeat offenders who continue to stay in the country despite expired visas and are involved in drug-related crimes.
“The visas of these people have expired but they are still in the country and a number of them are indulging in drug-related crimes,” one of them said.
The NCB’s annual report for 2024 states that 660 foreigners were arrested by various agencies in the country for alleged links to drug-related offences.
“Of them, 203 were from Nepal, 106 from Nigeria, 25 from Myanmar, 18 from Bangladesh, 14 from the Ivory Coast and 13 from Ghana. The nationalities of nearly 200 are yet be established,” the NCB said in a statement.
A sharp increase in synthetic drug seizures has been highlighted in the report, released by Union home minister Amit Shah during the second national conference of heads of the anti-narcotics task force (ANTF) of various states and UTs on Tuesday.
The anti-narcotics agencies recovered sixfold more such drugs between 2019 and 2024, the report has said.
“The use of drones for cross-border smuggling of narcotics has emerged as a significant threat to India’s internal security, particularly along the Pakistan border in Punjab. This evolving modus operandi has replaced traditional smuggling methods and poses a complex challenge for law enforcement and border security agencies,” the report stated.
Of the total 179 seizures in 2024, 163 occurred in Punjab, 15 in Rajasthan, and one in Jammu and Kashmir. The total recovery of drugs was about 236 kg. These included ATS (amphetamine-type stimulants), MDMA, mephedrone, and methaqualone, substances mainly abused by youngsters.
“In 2024, about 11,994 kgs of synthetic drugs were seized compared to just 1,890 kgs in 2019. This sharp rise is primarily driven by the high profitability and increasing market demand for these substances,” the agency has said.
There are also concerns over a “dramatic” increase in drugs seized from maritime routes since 2020. In 2024, seizures from the sea amounted to 10,564 kg, witnessing nearly a 500-fold surge compared to 2019.
While the ‘Death Crescent’, comprising Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, remains the primary source of heroin, ATS, and hashish entering India through the western coast, the ‘Death Triangle’ – Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand – serves as the main supplier of synthetic drugs, particularly methamphetamine, smuggled through the eastern coast, the NCB report has highlighted.