Synthetic drug trafficking zooms in Indo-Burma border

NEW DELHI, March 7: The increased flow of synthetic drugs via the traditional heroin routes from Burma to India might soon snowball into a major problem for authorities in India. A seven-time increase in the seizure of the widely abused synthetic drug "ephedrine", and that too within a year, at the Indo-Burma border has sounded the alarm bells. It has also made the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) to issue a warning to authorities in New Delhi about the proportions the problem was assuming. The total amount of "ephedrine" seized at the largely porous border between these two countries increased from less than 1,000 kgs in 1998 to more than 7,000 kgs in 1999. Besides "ephedrine", several seizures of amphetamine-type "stimulants" in the area have sounded the alarm bell. While figures for the year 2000 were not available, it is suspected that volume of synthetic drugs being smuggled into India could only have increased. The Indian authorities have also made several seizures of methamphetamine, another synthetic drug. Besides the border areas, the other Indian states vulnerable to this menace are those near the porous border. Three states that fall on the drug trafficking route are Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur, according to the report. The smuggled drug is sold in major Indian cities. Some of it is also smuggled out of India for sale in various European countries. In fact, seizures of other kinds of synthetic drugs, like methaqualone, known as "mandrax", of Indian origin have also been reported from South Africa. In neighbouring Nepal, the authorities have similarly reported seizure of Indian origin "mandrax." Not only illegally manufactured synthetic drugs, legally manufactured psychotropic substances, like diazepam and nitrazepam, continue to be smuggled out of India to Nepal and also to Central Asian and Russian Federation countries. The increase in the abuse of these substances in Nepal has been attributed to the very open border between India and Nepal. Another problem is the increase in the use of Spasmo Proxyvon used as a substitute for heroin because it is cheaper. In fact, the use of this drug led to a number of deaths in Mizoram earlier. INCB has urged the Indian authorities to check the abuse of controlled pharmaceuticals containing narcotic and psychotropic substances. There is some good news as well though. The Central Bureau of Narcotics in India has already taken some steps to prevent the increasing incidence of smuggling synthetic drugs into the country. A list of dos and dons has been compiled under the heading of "Voluntary Code of Conduct." The code was subsequently adopted by a number of manufacturers as well. As drugs like ephedrine and pseudoephedrine have been placed under control, the manufacturers dealing with these have to abide by the regulations. Violation of the code attracts stringent action. According to the report, law-enforcing agencies here have also heavily come down on some units manufacturing "mandrax."