Drug-trafficking in South Asia: A Profile

Sandwiched between the ‘Golden Triangle’ and ‘Golden Crescent,’ the major global
producers of psychotropic drugs, the South Asian region is the principal transit route for
psychotropic drugs. The trafficking of heroin that is smuggled to western countries, added to
locally produced drugs like cannabis and opium are the major drugs of abuse in the countries
of the region. The strong nexus between the terrorist organizations, drug-traffickers and
money launderers in South Asia has entrenched this menace. Porous borders between the
countries and lax plus corrupt surveillance and monitoring mechanisms have exacerbated the
trafficking and abuse of drugs in the belt extending from Southeast Asia to Central Asia.
Most of the nations in the region are party to one or the other of the UN Conventions on drug
trafficking, but their provisions are not incorporated into the domestic legal framework.
Consequently, the legal provisions applicable in these countries are not sufficient to deal with
the complexities of this trade. The following tabulation provides an overview of drug-
trafficking in the region.

Status of
global
Major drugs Source of Enforcemen conventions
Country Status Destination
involved drugs t Authority and
bilateral
agreements
Banglades Producer cannabis, Myanmar, India by Department Signatory to
h and heroin, India, and land; and of Narcotics all the three
Transit opium, local Western Control conventions
country marijuana, production countries (DNC); (the Single
codeine-based in through National Convention
cough syrups northwester Chittagong Narcotics on Narcotic
like n districts port and Control Drugs-1961,
Phensedyl Dhaka Board the
airport (NNCB) Convention
on
Psychotropi
c
Substances-
1971, the
UN
Convention
against
Illicit
Traffic in
Narcotic
Drugs and
Psychotropi
c
Sunstances-
1988).
Bilateral
agreement
with
 Myanmar
Bhutan Transit cannabis, Southeast India by Customs Signatory to
country heroin Asia land and air Department, the 1988
made use routes Ministry of Convention
of mostly Home
by Affairs
insurgent
s in
northeast
India
India Producer opium, Southeast Western Customs and Signatory to
and heroin, and countries Excise all three
Transit cannabis, Southwest Department, Conventions
country pharmaceutic Asia and Department . Bilateral
al drugs local of Revenue, agreements
production Narcotics with 15
in central, Control countries
north and Board
northeast (NCB),
India, and Central
Western Bureau of
Ghats Narcotics
(CBN),
Maldives Transit cannabis, India, West Asia, Narcotics Ratified all
country heroin Central and and  Europe Control three UN
Southeast and for Board Conventions
Asia local (NCB), Drug
consumptio Control
n Board
(DCB) of
Police
Headquarter
s
Nepal Producer cannabis, Pakistan, India, and Narcotics Ratified the
and heroin, Myanmar, West Drug 1961 and
Transit marijuana, India, and Europe Control Law the 1988
country codeine-based local through Enforcement Conventions
cough syrups production land and air Unit and not
like routes (NDCLEU) party to the
Phensedyl 1971
Convention.
Pakistan Producer cannabis, Afghanistan India, Anti Signatory to
and hashish, , and local Nepal, Narcotics all three UN
Transit heroin, opium production Bangladesh, Force Conventions
country Sri Lanka, . MoU with
Iran, Iran, and
Turkey and bilateral
western agreement
countries with India
Sri Lanka Producer cannabis, Indian sub- Europe and Excise Signatory to
and heroin continent, West Asia department, all three
Transit and local National Conventions
country production Dangerous
Drugs
Control
Board
(NDDCB),
Narcotics
Bureau of
the police