GLOBAL TRENDS IN DRUG TRAFFICKING NARCOTICS CONTROL BUREAU KOLKATA

Main Drugs Abused Globally Plant Based Drugs: Cannabis including Hashish, Marijuana, Charas, Ganja Opiates (from opium poppy) including Opium, Morphine, Heroin Coca/ cocaine (from coca bush)

EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERNATIONAL DRUG CONTROL Three main elements of illicit drug problem: Consumption and Abuse Cultivation and Production; Trafficking and Retailing;

GLOBAL TRENDS As Per UNODC Report- Coaca cultivation in Andean countries continues to fall driven by significant declines in Columbia. Production and consumption of ATS has levelled off with a clear downward trend in North America and to a lesser degree in Europe. Global production and consumption of cannabis also does not show in any upward trend. Opium production, while significant is now highly concentrated in Afghanistan’s southern provinces. Drug Law Enforcement has improved; almost half of all cocaine, and more than a quarter of all heroin produced is being intercepted.

OPIUM / MORPHINE / HEROIN . Illegal poppy is mainly restricted to 2 areas, the Golden Crescent – Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Golden Triangle – Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. About 92% of world’s heroin comes from poppy grown in Afghanistan. Poppy cultivation in Golden Triangle has fallen drastically in the last 3 yrs. Heroin market is divided into 3 sub-markets Aghanistan opiates supply the neighbouring countries of Europe, the near and Middle East and Africa.

OPIUM / MORPHINE / HEROIN Opiates produced in South East Asia supply markets of China, South East countries and Oceania. Opiates produced in Latin America supplies North American market. Global opium production soar to a record high of 606 Metric tonnes in 2006.

CANNABIS / HASHISH Cannabis production is widespread and takes place in atleast 172 countries. Production of hashish is concentrated in North Africa (Morocco ) and south west middle east region particularly Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the year 2005, Spain reported 52 % of hashish seizures while Pakistan and Morocco reported 7 % each.

Coca / Cocaine The main areas of cultivation are the countries of Columbia, Bolivia and Peru. There has been a reduction in area under cultivation in Columbia in recent years. Although area under coca has reduced in recent years, production remain stable because of better yield. North America and Western / Central Europe are the two main regions of cocaine consumption.

COCA / COCAINE Largest seizure of cocaine in 2005 was made by Columbia followed by USA, Venezuela, Spain, Equador and Mexico. Cocaine is trafficked to Europe via Carribean regions and Africa.

The major ATS products are methamphetamine, amphetamine and ectasy. Largest production areas of methamphetamine are : South East Asia ( Myanmar, China, Phillipines ) & North America. The Oceania region namely Australia, New Zealand are also important producers of Methamphetamine.

ATS Amphetamine production is primarily located in Europe, notably in Netherlands, the Baltic region and Belgium. Amphetamine production also takes place in North America and South East Asia. Ectasy production continues to be largely concentrated in Europe. In recent years North America and South East Asia also contribute to production of Ectasy.

ATS Global seizure of ATS continue to be dominated by seizure of methamphetamine. About 50 % of ATS seizure is methamphetamine, 15 % amphetamine and 14 % ecstasy. The global amphetamine consumer market is larger than the markets for cocaine or heroin.

Indian Scenario Licit cultivation of opium poppy is done in some districts of MadhyaPradesh, Rajasthan and Utter Pradesh under Central Govt licence and strict control. Heroin production is mainly from opium obtained from illicit cultivation of poppy. Illicit poppy is grown in many states of the country including West Bengal.

Indian Scenario Heroin also comes from across the North West frontier viz Afghanistan & Pakistan. Heroin is trafficked to Bangladesh and SriLanka. Cannabis cultivation is wide spread . Trafficking of cannabis is mostly internal.

DRUG ECONOMY Present size of the global illicit drug market is around US $ 400 Billion. The value, measured at retail prices, is higher than the GDP of 88% of the countries in the world and equivalent to about three quarters of Sub-Saharan Africa’s total GDP The trade in illicit drugs accounts for 8% of all international trade Drug traffickers seek to transform the monetary proceeds from their criminal activity into revenue with an apparently legal source - MONEY LAUNDERING

NARCO-TERRORISM What is Narco-terrorism? Narco-terrorism refers to terrorist acts carried out by groups that are directly or indirectly involved in cultivating, manufacturing, transporting, or distributing illicit drugs. The term is generally applied to groups that use the drug trade to fund terrorism. It is also used to refer to the phenomenon of increasingly close ties between powerful drug lords motivated by simple criminal profit and terrorist groups with political agendas, in countries like Colombia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Myanmar, etc.

NARCO-TERRORISM How are terrorist groups connected to the drug trade? Some terrorist groups like in Columbia collect taxes from people who cultivate or process illicit drugs on lands that it controls; Others, including Hezbollah in Afghanistan and Pakistan and Colombia’s AUC, traffic in drugs themselves. Some terrorist groups are supported by states funded by the drug trade, e.g. Taliban in Afghanistan Why would terrorists turn to drug trafficking? Because they need money—for weapons, equipment, training, computers and other information systems, transportation, bribes, safe houses, forged passports and other documents, and even payroll. Drugs are a handy way to get cash—lots of it.