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Drug Trade Across India and Myanmar
Context:
Drug trafficking represents a non-traditional security threat with serious repercussions. The unfenced, porous Indo-Myanmar border facilitates the flow of narcotics into India, significantly impacting the region’s socio-economic fabric.
More on News:
- Globally, the drug trade is valued at around $650 billion, accounting for 30 percent of the overall illicit economy.
- Since the 1970s, India’s Northeastern Region (NER) has struggled with drug trafficking, largely due to its proximity to the Golden Triangle.
- In 2023, Myanmar overtook Afghanistan as the world’s leading opium producer, with illicit cultivation expanding from 99,000 to 116,000 acres.
Implications to National Security:
- Border Security Threats: The illegal movement of drugs leads to breaches of a nation’s international border.
- Financing Insurgency and Terrorism: Profits from the illicit drug trade can be used to fund insurgency and terrorist activities.
- Impact on Economy, Public Health, and Politics: Public health suffers as addiction rates, overdoses, and drug-related diseases rise, overwhelming healthcare systems.
India-Myanmar Security Dynamics:
- Unconventional Security Challenges: The India-Myanmar border faces issues like insurgent movement, narcotics and arms trafficking, wildlife and human smuggling, and illicit transportation of goods due to its porous nature.
- Boundary Disputes: The India-Burma Boundary Agreement of 1967 outlined the border, but certain stretches remain disputed.
- Superimposed Border: The Pemberton Line divides ethnic groups such as the Nagas, Kukis, Mizos, and Chins, who maintain strong cross-border social and economic ties. This weakens national borders and complicates security.
- Free Movement Regime (FMR): The FMR allows tribes to move up to 16 km into each other’s territory without documentation, but this has been exploited by insurgents and drug traffickers.
- Geography: The border’s difficult terrain of mountains, hills, rivers, and dense forests hinders infrastructure development and border policing, creating pathways for drug trafficking and other illegal activities.
- Insurgency and Ethnic Conflict: Several insurgent groups have camps in Myanmar where they train, smuggle drugs, and sell arms to finance their activities.
- Inadequate Border Surveillance: The Assam Rifles, responsible for border security, operate from bases far from the border, limiting effective 24/7 monitoring and making the area vulnerable to insurgent and criminal activity.
Post-Coup Drug Trade in Myanmar:
- Economic Contraction: Myanmar’s economy shrank by 18% in 2021 and grew by only 3% in 2022, following years of 6% average growth (2011-2019).
- Currency Devaluation: The kyat’s value nearly halved in 2022, causing inflation to rise to 16%. The World Bank predicts just 1% growth in 2024.
- GDP Decline: Ongoing conflict led to a drop in GDP per capita from $1,480 in 2020 to $1,150 in 2022.
- Industry Impact: The construction, garments, tourism, and hospitality sectors saw employment losses of 31%, 27%, and 30%, respectively.
- Food Crisis: 10.7 million people faced acute food insecurity after the coup, exacerbated by economic downturns and rising fuel prices (petrol up 33%, diesel 29%).
- Commodity Price Surge: Prices of essential items, like cooking oil, tripled post-coup, while increased poppy cultivation became a fallback income for struggling farmers.
India’s Concerns:
- Porous India-Myanmar Border: India shares a 1,643-km porous border with Myanmar, which facilitates drug smuggling and insurgent activity, heightening security concerns.
- Drug Trafficking Trends: There has been a marked increase in drug seizures in northeastern states, with Manipur police confiscating contraband valued at approximately $193 million from July 2022 to July 2023.
- Legal vs. Illegal Opium Cultivation: India allows regulated opium cultivation for medical purposes in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, contrasting sharply with widespread illegal poppy cultivation in northeastern states, particularly in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
- Geographical Context: Illicit poppy cultivation in Manipur is closely tied to Myanmar’s Kachin State and the Sagaing Region.
- Patterns of Drug Use: In Manipur, there is a diverse range of drug consumption, including methamphetamine and heroin.
- Drug Trafficking Routes: Manipur serves as a transit hub for drugs smuggled from Myanmar, primarily via two routes: one from Mandalay through Tamu-Moreh and another from Kachin State to Nagaland.
- Concerns for Indian Authorities: There are rising fears that the border region may be turning into a drug production zone.
- Nexus with Insurgency: Drug trafficking funds insurgent activities, with groups like NSCN collecting a share of drug profits.
- Smaller groups like the Kangleipak Communist Party are also involved in trafficking, perpetuating a cycle of violence and crime.
- Political Corruption: Drug cartels infiltrate state institutions, undermining the political process.
National, Bilateral, and Multilateral Mechanisms:
Legal Framework in India:
- Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act): Established in 1985, the NDPS Act serves as the legal foundation for drug law enforcement in India, with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) coordinating its implementation.
- Penalties for Illicit Cultivation: Illegal cultivation of opium, cannabis, or coca can result in up to 10 years of imprisonment and fines up to $1,350. Licensed opium farmers face harsher penalties for embezzlement, with potential sentences of 10-20 years and fines between $1,350 and $2,700.
- Government Campaigns: The Manipur government launched initiatives like “Nisha Thadoklasi” and “War on Drugs” to combat illegal cultivation and drug trade, utilising drones and satellite imagery for detection.
- Alternative Development Programs: Introduced in 2022, programs providing seeds, tools, and equipment to farmers aim to convert Manipur into a ‘Green Manipur’ and reduce reliance on poppy cultivation.
Bilateral Cooperation
- Engagement with Myanmar: India has signed bilateral agreements and MoUs with Myanmar to combat drug trafficking, focusing on intelligence sharing and controlled delivery operations to disrupt trafficking networks.
- International Discussions: Regular meetings, such as the 7th Myanmar-India Bilateral Meeting on Drug Control, emphasise cooperation on drug-related issues with international implications.
Multilateral Engagements
- BIMSTEC and MGC Memberships: Both India and Myanmar are part of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), participating in initiatives to combat illicit drug trafficking.
- BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Drug Control: The 7th BIMSTEC meeting in December 2022 aimed at formulating a plan of action for drug control, highlighting the importance of intelligence sharing among member states.
- ASEAN Engagement: India’s strategic partnership with ASEAN, including support for a five-point consensus on Myanmar, provides a platform for addressing drug control issues, although India’s participation in ASEAN drug initiatives has been limited.
Enduring Challenges and the Way Forward:
- Political Instability in Myanmar: Ongoing unrest in Myanmar complicates India’s efforts to combat drug trafficking and maintain border security.
- India has initiated dialogues with various stakeholders, including the National Unity Government (NUG) and ethnic armed groups like the Arakan Army (AA), to protect its interests.
- Free Movement Regime (FMR) Discontinuation: The Indian government is considering ending the FMR and constructing a border fence to reduce narcotics trafficking and illegal activities.
- Challenges of Eradication Methods: A sustainable approach must combine law enforcement with economic development to offer viable alternatives to poppy farming.
- Nexus Between Politicians, Law Enforcement, and Drug Kingpins: Corruption within law enforcement hampers drug control efforts.
- Agencies must implement conflict-of-interest disclosures, regular appraisals, and whistleblower protections.
- Surveillance Along Border Areas: Strengthening border security is vital for national security.
- Empowering the Assam Rifles with additional resources and advanced equipment can enhance their effectiveness in guarding the border.
- Strengthening Regional Mechanisms: Enhancing cooperation with neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan is essential.
Intelligence-sharing, joint operations, and capacity-building initiatives can improve collective efforts to combat transnational drug trafficking networks.