Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 13 October 2024
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), India’s leading agency in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse, releases yearly data detailing drug seizures across the country, including the Union Territories. According to the latest data available in NCB’s website, Andaman and Nicobar Islands witnessed a sharp rise in the seizure of narcotics in 2023.
The NCB report reveals that a total of 244.87 kg of Amphetamine-Type Stimulants (ATS), which includes methamphetamine, was seized from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2023. In addition, 88 kg of Ganja was confiscated from the islands during the same year.
This marks a significant increase from the previous year, with Ganja seizures in 2022 totalling 40 kg and ATS seizures standing at 19.46 kg. The rise in drug busts in 2023 suggests a growing challenge for law enforcement in curbing drug trafficking in the region.
Looking back, the data shows fluctuations in the amount of narcotics seized over the years. In 2021, authorities confiscated 26 kg of Ganja and 32.55 kg of ATS, while in 2020, 95 kg of Ganja and 66.39 kg of ATS were seized. However, before 2020, Ganja was the dominant drug being trafficked in the islands, with 115 kg seized in 2019 and 64 kg in 2018. There were no ATS seizures reported in 2018 and 2019 in NCB Data.
The NCB data, does not account for the huge quantity of methamphetamine seized by the Indian Coast Guard from the high seas near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2019, which marked a major operation.
Apart from ganja and ATS, various other substances were also confiscated. In 2023, 630 tablets of various types were seized, up from 375 in 2022. Additionally, 497 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup were confiscated in 2023, a sharp rise compared to 26 bottles in 2022.
The NCB data also highlights that 1.10 kg of cocaine was seized in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2023, for the first time. Earlier, in 2020, authorities had also seized 0.44 kg of hashish.
The NCB Data does not show the huge quantity of Methamphetamine seized by the Indian Coast Guard from High Seas near Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2019.
These figures underscore the evolving drug trade landscape in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, raising concerns about the increasing availability and trafficking of potent narcotics in the area. Law enforcement agencies continue to remain vigilant, but the data signals the need for enhanced efforts to curb the growing drug menace in the region.