New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) The pattern of narcotics trafficking through the Northeast region has “changed significantly”, with drug syndicates shifting towards synthetic drugs and increasingly using social media and encrypted communication applications to coordinate cross-border smuggling, the government informed Parliament on Wednesday.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the region continues to witness heroin trafficking, however, there has been a “marked increase in the trafficking of Methamphetamine (Crystal Meth/YABA) from Myanmar, particularly through Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland, reflecting a shift towards synthetic drugs”.
“The pattern of narcotics trafficking through the North-Eastern Region has undergone significant changes in terms of the type of drugs trafficked, trafficking routes and modus operandi adopted by drug trafficking syndicates,” he said.
The minister also said there were reports of precursor chemicals being smuggled from various parts of the country to Myanmar for the illicit manufacture of synthetic drugs.
According to the reply, traffickers were increasingly exploiting porous and unfenced stretches of the Indo-Myanmar border, forest routes, foot tracks and hilly terrain for cross-border movement of narcotic drugs.
“Narcotics are concealed in legitimate cargo, passenger vehicles and goods carriers, while courier services, parcel networks, social media platforms and encrypted communication applications are increasingly being used for coordination and delivery,” the minister said.
Rai added that the Moreh-Tamu border continued to remain a major transit point for heroin and methamphetamine originating from Myanmar to various parts of the country.
The minister said cross-border drug trafficking continued to pose a significant challenge, particularly in the Northeastern states because of their proximity to the “Death Triangle” and porous borders with Myanmar, making them vulnerable to transnational trafficking of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) and heroin through organised cross-border trafficking networks.
Rai said Drug Law Enforcement Agencies had reported seizures of 4,626 kg of ATS and 2,652 kg of heroin during 2021-2025.
He also said vulnerable border stretches covered under the Free Movement Regime had facilitated drug trafficking activities, while syndicates were constantly changing trafficking routes and concealment methods to evade enforcement action.
The minister said the government had taken several measures to tackle the threat, including releasing the Vision Document on Narcotics Control 2026-2029, strengthening the four-tier Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) mechanism, and expanding the Narcotics Control Bureau’s presence in border areas.
The measures also include establishing new zonal offices in the Northeast and deploying advanced surveillance systems, anti-drone technology and improved border fencing along vulnerable stretches, he said. PTI MHS MHS KVK KVK
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