Despite a 40 per cent reduction in number as compared to the last year, Punjab continues to be second in the country regarding registration of cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in 2020.Punjab is categorised as a major transit point for drugs.

Several cases are often reported where drugs from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Jammu and Kahsmir, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan reach the state and are subsequently smuggled to metropolitan cities and even abroad.

Uttar Pradesh tops the country with 10,852 cases registered under the NDPS Act.

Being 16th position population-wise in the country, Punjab faces a major drug problem and the government had set up a Special Task Force in 2017 against the menace.

India and Illicit Drug Trade

• Major Hub of Illicit Drug Trade: According to a report by the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), India is one of the major hubs of illicit drug trade ranging from age-old cannabis to newer prescription drugs like tramadol, and designer drugs like methamphetamine.
• Drug Trafficking Routes: India is in the middle of two major illicit opium production regions in the world, the Golden Crescent (Iran-Afghanistan-Pakistan) in the west and the Golden Triangle (South-East Asia) in the east.
• Golden Triangle:It represents the region coinciding with the rural mountains of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand.It is Southeast Asia’s main opium-producing region and one of the oldest narcotics supply routes to Europe and North America.
• Golden Crescent:This region of South Asia is a principal global site for opium production and distribution.It comprises Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.