Role of the Internet in Drug Trafficking
Recently, the International Narcotics Control Board in its 2023 Annual Report, highlighted that online Drug Trafficking has increased the availability of drugs on the illicit market.
What is Drug Trafficking?
Ans: Drug trafficking refers to the illegal trade involving the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, and sale of illicit drugs.
Regional Drug Supply Trends:
Shifting Cultivation: Opium production is down in Afghanistan, while coca cultivation is surging in Colombia and Peru.
Opioid Crisis: North America continues to struggle with synthetic opioids, leading to a significant rise in overdose deaths.
Expanding Operations: Drug cartels in the Amazon Basin are branching out into illegal activities beyond drugs.
Trafficking Routes: South Asia and Pacific Islands are becoming key routes and destinations for illegal drugs.
Challenges in Online Drug Trafficking:
Growing Threat: The online availability of drugs is a major concern, making it easier for criminals to operate and increasing the risk of overdoses.
Platform Abuse: Criminals are exploiting legitimate online platforms and anonymizing tools to avoid detection.
Patient Safety: Illicit online pharmacies pose a threat to consumers, who may receive counterfeit or dangerous drugs.
What are the Initiatives Taken by India to Curb the Drug Menace?
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985: It prohibits a person from producing, possessing, selling, purchasing, transporting, storing, and/or consuming any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance.
The National Fund for Control of Drug Abuse was also created under a provision of the NDPS Act, 1985, to meet the expenditure incurred in the implementation of the Act.
National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has prepared a plan for Drug Demand Reduction for 2018-25.
This plan focuses on preventive education, awareness generation, identification, counselling, treatment, and rehabilitation of drug-dependent persons, as well as training and capacity building of service providers through collaborative efforts of government and Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs).
Nasha Mukt Bharat Campaign (NMBA): NMBA was launched in 2020 to tackle the issue of Substance Abuse and a vision to make India drug-free. It is a three-pronged attack combining:
The supply curb by the Narcotics Control Bureau
Outreach and Awareness and Demand Reduction efforts by Social Justice and Empowerment
Treatment through the Health Department.
