A total of 106 Nigerians were arrested in India for drug trafficking in 2024, according to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) annual report released this week.
The data, cited by The Indian Express, showed that Nepalese nationals topped the list with 203 arrests, followed by Nigerians (106) and Myanmarese (25). Other arrests included 18 Bangladeshis, 14 Ivorians, 13 Ghanaians, and 10 Icelanders.
The report was made public by India’s Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, during the 2nd National Conference of Heads of Anti-Narcotics Task Forces.
Drone trafficking and major seizures
- In Punjab, 163 cases of drug smuggling by drones were recorded, leading to the seizure of 187.1 kg of heroin, 5.39 kg of methamphetamine, and 4.22 kg of opium.
- In Rajasthan, 15 drone-related cases led to the recovery of 39.2 kg of heroin.
- In Jammu and Kashmir, one case was reported with 0.34 kg of heroin recovered.
India’s drug trafficking challenge
NCB Director General, Anurag Garg, said India faces unique risks due to its location between the “Death Crescent” (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran) and the “Death Triangle” (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos)—two of the world’s largest drug-producing regions.
He noted that while northern states such as Punjab, Rajasthan, and Jammu & Kashmir remain vulnerable to heroin inflows from Pakistan, north-eastern states like Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland are exposed to trafficking from Myanmar. Coastal routes in Mumbai, Gujarat, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu are now being exploited for synthetic drugs and chemical precursors.
India’s tough stance
Home Minister Amit Shah vowed to dismantle narcotics networks, saying efforts must now focus on three levels of cartels:
- Entry point operators
- Distributors to states
- Local sellers
He called for advanced tools such as darknet analysis, cryptocurrency tracking, metadata analysis, and machine learning to curb cartels, while also urging extradition of drug kingpins hiding abroad.
“The Modi government is determined to wipe out all kinds of narcotics from the country,” Shah said, stressing links between drug trafficking and terrorism.
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