New Delhi’s security agencies are on high alert as an old drug trafficking corridor stretching from Nepal to Sri Lanka via India shows signs of revival. Once relatively dormant, this route is now buzzing with activity, primarily used for smuggling hashish oil and charas.
In a major multi-state operation led by the Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Chennai and Hyderabad zonal units, authorities seized hashish oil and charas worth approximately 10 crore rupees. This crackdown was part of the central government’s ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ initiative aimed at curbing drug abuse nationwide.
An official revealed that Sri Lanka has emerged as a lucrative market for these substances. Over recent years, drug misuse cases have surged on the island nation, fueling demand and prompting cartels to ramp up supply chains. Positioned strategically in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka serves as a key transit hub for narcotics originating not just from Nepal but also Afghanistan, routed through Pakistan and Iran.
Smugglers have turned southern India into a critical transit point. Consignments typically land on the coasts near Thoothukudi or Kodikkarai, from where a sophisticated network hands them over to Sri Lankan accomplices mid-sea. These landing spots aren’t new; they’ve long been exploited for opium trades, with Sri Lankan traffickers previously bartering beedi in exchange.
NCB sources point to Trincomalee, Galle, and Colombo as primary entry and exit points in Sri Lanka. The drug trade has exploded in scale—while cases were sporadic a few months ago, 2024 alone saw 35,000 seizures on the island. Demand now extends beyond marijuana and hashish to methamphetamine, which has skyrocketed since 2019.
Once in Sri Lanka, drugs are repackaged by local criminals, fishermen, and organized gangs for distribution across the country. Intelligence reports indicate intensified use of the Nepal-Sri Lanka route lately, partly due to tightened security along the Pakistan border in Jammu-Kashmir and Punjab.
Though not a novel path, its resurgence raises serious alarms. Indian agencies are collaborating closely with Nepalese and Sri Lankan counterparts to dismantle it. The Indian Coast Guard plays a pivotal role, intercepting fishing trawlers from south India for thorough checks.
Investigations uncover a racket masterminded by a Sri Lankan national coordinating with networks in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nepal to ferry drugs to southern India. He’s built a Tamil Nadu-based syndicate to seamlessly deliver consignments into Sri Lankan waters. Agencies remain vigilant, plugging gaps exploited by these syndicates in an ongoing campaign.