Page 58 - final fill 160 v28 with bleed.ai

15 Smuggling in India Report 2024-25

Overview

India, located between the Golden Crescent and the Golden Triangle, faces a stra-
tegic challenge in the global narcotics trade. The rise of New Psychoactive Sub-
stances (NPS), darknet-based distribution, and illicit labs used to manufacture
mephedrone and amphetamine-type substances signals evolving trafficking pat-
terns. Emerging drug trafficking trends include liquid cocaine, body concealment,
fentanyl precursors, and increased smuggling of hydroponic weed. include liquid
cocaine, body concealment cases, fentanyl precursors, and increased smuggling of
hydroponic weed. Traffickers now use advanced concealment and encrypted com-
munications, complicating enforcement. In response, India is strengthening laws,
technology, and inter-agency coordination under the Narcotic Drugs and Psycho-
tropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 and international conventions, guided by
Article 47 of the Constitution of India.

Supply Chain of Drug TraĜcking Syndicates

One of the most critical stages from
enforcement perspective is the traf-
Production/ ficking and transportation of narcotic
1 Cultivation
drugs and psychotropic substances
along with their precursors. Orga-
Processing/
2 Manufacture nized crime syndicates use a variety of
sophisticated methods to move the
Packaging/ drugs across borders via air, land and
3 Concealment
sea routes. The final stage is sale and
consumption. The rise of the internet
4 Transportation
and dark web marketplaces has revo-
lutionised this stage. The anonymity of
Wholesale
5 Distribution online platforms, along with the use of
cryptocurrencies, provide a secure
Retail and difficult-to-trace environment for
6 Distribution
sales.

Sale/
7 Consumption

Money
8 laundering

final fill 160 v28 with bleed.pdf 58 12/19/2025 3:26:49 PM