Question : Smuggling of Drugs

(a) whether recently the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has released a report indicating that smuggling of cocaine has increased in Asia and India is a transit point for Afghanistan''s heroin and cocaine;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;

(c) whether another finding is on the thriving drug trade on the "DARKNET" (Internet) and this trend raises concerns in terms of the potential of "DARKNET" to attract new people; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI HANSRAJ GANGARAM AHIR)

( a) & (b): The World Drug Report, 2016 released by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) mentions that the departure and transit countries in Asia are mostly in the Middle East
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(UAE, Jordan and Lebonon) and in South East Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Phillippines and India). Besides, the report also states about the domestic heroin market in India. Measures taken by the Government to prevent drug trafficking include intensive preventive and interdiction efforts along known drug routes, strict surveillance and enforcement at import and export points, increased international cooperation for exchange of information and investigative assistance in administering control over the movement of Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances and Precursor Chemicals, training programmes for law enforcement officials for upgrading their skills to combating drug menace, sharing of real time information and coordination operation with Nodal agencies of neighbouring countries and empowerment of Border Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal and Coast Guard under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for making interdiction of narcotic drugs and to prevent smuggling of the same.


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(c)& (d): The UNODC has mentioned the trends related to the trade on “Darknet” in the World Drug Report, 2016..Narcotics Control Bureau in coordination with other Drug Law Enforcement Agencies is making efforts for interdiction in the use of darknet for drug trafficking in India. In 2015, NCB succeeded in intercepting 2 cases of darknet transactions. This led to seizure of 2598 blots of LSD and 2 grams of Cocaine. 6 arrests were made in connection with these two cases.

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