Narcotics hauls and drug busts across India’s ports and coastal waters have led to seizure of 2,826 kg of banned substances so far in 2023. Methamphetamine accounted for 99 per cent of the seizures, at 2,825 kg, the highest in five years, data shared by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
The largest hauls were reported from Gujarat, Kerala and Andaman, with the source nation being Pakistan. The highest single haul of crystal meth of 2,526 kg over a five-year-period was made at Kochi, data tabled in the Rajya Sabha shows. Seizures have also been made at Okha in Gujarat (61 kg) and Pagla Mundi in Little Andaman (238 kg).
The manufacture, possession, transport, import, export, sale, purchase and use of Crystal meth, a psychotropic substance, is illegal in India. The man-made stimulant is a party or rave drug and comes in blue crystal or ice form. It affects the central nervous system.
A 1 kg shipment of cocaine, seized during the year from Kachchh port in Gujarat, was sourced to Ecuador.
The value of these seized consignments is said to run into crores.
Previous Year Seizures
According ot Ministry data, drug seizures between 2019 and 2023 peaked at 4,385 kg in 2021.
This comprised mostly heroin and cocaine, with the drug busts happening at Kutch, Porbandar (sea) and Jakhau (sea) in Gujarat; Eranakulam and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala; Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu; JNPT in Mumbai, Maharashtra and Adani Port at Mundra in Gujarat.
The single largest seizure of heroin was reportedly made at Mundra by the DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) to the tune of 2988 kg, with Afghanistan being identified as the source nation. Other sourcing nations included Pakistan, Iran and Panama
The second largest narcotics haul of 3,044 kg was reported in 2022, and included charas, ATS, heroin, ganja, methamphetamine, cocaine and hashish oil across ports and seas in Gujarat (including at Mundra Port), Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra (Raigarh, JNPT), and Kolkata port in West Bengal.
The sourcing countries were Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, the UAE, South Africa and from within India too.
The lowest haul was in 2020 at Port Blair in Andaman & Nicobar Island when 575 kg was seized, with crystal meth comprising 40 per cent of the haul (233 kg). China and Myanmar were identified as the source nations.
Seizures in 2019 were at 1,976 kg, with crystal meth being the most busted item at 1,404 kg (70 per cent of the seizure). Most of the seizures were made from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with Myanmar being identified as the source nation.