Beyond drug seizures: Why tracing proceeds of crime is critical to India’s fight against narcotics

The 10^th Apex Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) meeting recognised that meaningful progress in the fight against narcotics requires more than record drug seizures. It calls for sustained action against the organised criminal networks that finance and facilitate the illegal trade.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that the global illicit drug trade generates hundreds of billions of dollars annually, which are rarely retained in cash. Instead, they are concealed through shell entities, informal value transfer systems, cross-border transactions and, increasingly, cryptocurrencies before being reinvested into organised crime, corruption and, in some cases, terrorist financing. Consequently, an enforcement strategy that focuses solely on drug seizures, while ignoring the financial infrastructure sustaining organised trafficking, can achieve only limited success.

India’s geographical location further accentuates this challenge due to its geographical location between the infamous “Death Crescent”, comprising Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, and the “Death Triangle”, consisting of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. Simultaneously, the growth of digital technologies, cryptocurrencies and underground financial channels has facilitated concealment of illicit wealth.

The scale of the threat is reflected in recent data. NCRB data reveal that enforcement agencies seized more than 87.36 lakh kg of narcotic drugs under the NDPS Act between 2019 and 2024, as illustrated in the graph below. In 2025 alone, the NCB seized more than 1,33,000 kg of narcotic drugs, destroyed narcotics worth ₹3,889 crore and secured convictions in 265 cases (Year-end press release).

This commitment is reflected in several major operations carried out by the NCB in recent years, including Operation Crystal Fortress, Operation Ketamelon, Operation WIPE and Operation MedMax.

India has also witnessed some of the largest seizures in recent history. In 2021, authorities seized nearly 3,000 kg of heroin at Mundra Port, Gujarat, worth about ₹21,000 crore. More recently, in May, 2026, Operation RAGEPILL uncovered an illicit manufacturing plant in Dehradun that produced Captagon.

However, we must remember that large drug seizures alone do not dismantle organised crime. Unless the financial networks sustaining these syndicates are disrupted, traffickers retain the resources to revive their operations. The true measure of success, therefore, lies not merely in the quantity of narcotics seized, but in dismantling the criminal enterprise behind them.

The government has recently taken a more concerted strategy to combating drug trafficking and substance misuse in recognition of the growing threat posed by drugs. In Union of India v. Namdeo Ashruba Nakade, the Supreme Court acknowledged the gravity of the problem by pointing out the growing prevalence of drug usage among young people and its detrimental effects on society. The observations reaffirm that combating drug trafficking is both a constitutional obligation under Article 47 and a statutory mandate under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against narcotics and a three-pronged plan centered on public awareness, institutional strengthening and interagency coordination under its vision of a “Drug-Free India.” Recently, at the 10^th Apex NCORD Meeting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah brought attention to the notable increase in synthetic drug seizures, which went from over 2.6 million kg between 2004 and 2014 to nearly 11.8 million kg between 2014 and 2026. He also released the Vision Document on Narcotics Control 2026-2029. Earlier, at the 9^th Apex NCORD meetings, he had emphasised a mission-mode approach, demanded both top to bottom and bottom to top investigations, and instructed all departments to create and carry out a time-bound roadmap until 2029

India has strengthened its response through initiatives such as NCORD, NIDAAN and Anti-Narcotics Task Forces, while enhancing coordination among enforcement agencies and international cooperation. However, sustaining this momentum requires specialised financial investigations, stronger intelligence sharing and greater institutional capacity.

The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) assumes considerable significance. While the NDPS Act primarily criminalises the manufacture, possession and trafficking of narcotic drugs, the PMLA attacks the economic foundation of these offences by depriving offenders of the proceeds generated from them. Importantly, several offences under the NDPS Act - including Sections 15, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25A, 27A and 29 - are included in Part A of the Schedule to the PMLA. Consequently, any property acquired either partly or fully through illegal income of drug trafficking itself becomes tainted and hence is liable to seizure/freezing, leading to forfeiture. The legislative intent is clear: combating drug trafficking requires not only the prosecution of offenders but also the identification, attachment and confiscation of the proceeds of crime to dismantle the financial networks that sustain organised criminal activity.

The need for stronger financial investigations has also been highlighted by the FATF Mutual Evaluation Report on India, which noted the relatively low number of money laundering cases linked to drug trafficking and emphasised the importance of focusing on the financial aspects and proceeds of such crimes.

To address this gap, the Enforcement Directorate has intensified its focus on narcotics-related money laundering by registering cases in significant drug trafficking cases, particularly those involving organised syndicates and cross-border networks. The ED aims to dismantle the financial networks that sustain the illegal drug trade by working in close coordination with drug law enforcement agencies and by identifying, tracing and attaching illicit assets.

Recent investigations by the ED, including the smuggling of 890 kg of heroin and 52 kg of mixed narcotics from Pakistan through the Attari Land Customs Station, as well as the action undertaken in June 2026 against a transnational drug trafficking syndicate allegedly linked to associates of Salim Ismail Dola, demonstrate the importance of financial investigations in uncovering the wider criminal networks behind drug trafficking.

While recent developments have been encouraging, implementing the vision of Drug Free India by 2047 calls for a shift from reactive to proactive approach. Drug trafficking has developed into a complex transnational business, which means that efforts have to go beyond simply seizure. It is imperative to focus on unravelling the organised criminal syndicates and networks which support the illegal drug industry. This will need more timely sharing of information and better coordination both within the country as well as internationally.

At the same time, enhancing the quality of investigation and prosecution needs to be emphasised. Financial investigations under the PMLA have to become a routine in all major narcotics cases to enable identification, tracing, attachment and confiscation of the proceeds of crime. In addition, existing laws, such as Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988 (PITNDPS Act), have to be utilised more effectively for disruption of organised narcotics trafficking networks. Additionally, greater effort must also be made to develop financial intelligence capabilities.

Trafficking networks have become more sophisticated and are using encrypted communications, cryptocurrency and synthetic drugs for avoiding apprehension. In such situations, authorities will need to arm themselves with sophisticated technology to detect and investigate digital communication, AI-enabled risk assessment tools, cargo scanners and drone defence mechanisms, especially at those land, air and maritime entry points which are weak.

However, any effective anti-drug policy cannot solely rely on enforcement measures alone. It needs to differentiate between traffickers who benefit from illegal activities and those who have become victims of substance addiction. While the former need to be dealt with sternly in line with laws, the latter need facilities for rehabilitation and counselling.

India’s success in curbing drugs is not only dependent on the amount of drugs confiscated, but also its capacity to break down the financial infrastructure that supports the organised drug trade while simultaneously addressing the social factors responsible for drug demands. A strategy that combines efficient law enforcement under the NDPS act, solid financial investigation under the PMLA, innovation and international co-operation provides the best way forward in ensuring that India becomes free from drugs.

Mayank Makhija is a practising advocate at the Supreme Court of India and former Assistant Legal Advisor & Special Public Prosecutor for the Directorate of Enforcement.

Naman Sharma is a final year student at Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur.