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India an important

transit point for

world drugs trade

NEW DELHI: India is fast emerging as the world's single most important transit point for drug smuggling to Western nations, reports said Tuesday.

Drugs being moved via India mainly consist of heroin from the golden triangle region of Burma, Laos and Thailand, The Times of India reported.

"The bulk of drugs being smuggled to Western countries are being routed through India, particularly Bombay" a Narcotics Control Board (NCB) official told the newspaper, but no figures were given.

The official said Delhi was becoming a centre through which drugs from Latin America are routed to Japan, Korea and Southeast Asian countries.

The official said NCB was concerned over Bombay becoming a major centre for processing and refining drugs.

NCB sources said, according to an Interpol report, the seizure of drugs in America and Europe has declined. "This proves the quantity of drugs available in the American and European markets has increased in the absence of major seizures there" the official said.

"We have definite information these drugs are smuggled from India after being processed in Bombay", he said.

Bulk of the drugs are smuggled by sea mainly from small ports along the coasts of the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, officials said.

The mushrooming of organised drug syndicates in Bombay has also contributed to its importance to drug smugglers. Officials said a large number of underworld dens in Bombay are involved in narcotics because of the high profit margin.

Authorities are concerned that India may also develop as a major centre for drug consumption, Times of India said.-DPA