Narcotics sourced through internet, social media: Report

The easy access to internet has become a cause of concern for security agencies. For, youngsters are placing orders for narcotics substances such heroin, hashish and cocaine -- through illegal internet pharmacies and their ‘page’ on social-media websites.

In a major revelation, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has found India as the source for 58 percent of the narcotics substances seized internationally. The report prepared by International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) ranks the country as the biggest consumer of narcotics substances in South Asia. India has a market estimated at $1.4 billion for heroin, while it is $1.9 billion for the entire South Asian market. The UNODC report states that the global heroin economy is estimated at $68 billion.

 

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), releasing the report, said the use of internet and social media websites to place orders was a new trend. “In the past few years there have at least 10 cases where we have successfully detected illegal internet pharmacies or doctors who were running their own illegal pharmacies through the internet,” according to NCB director O P S Malik. “We have made several arrests in Agra, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, Faridabad, Kolkata and Noida.”

Malik elaborated that the growing trend of using the internet to place orders for narcotics substances was “clearly visible” last year when security agencies seized 152 ‘parcels’ within India. Also, 29 parcels of narcotics substances were recovered in other countries that were sent from India.

He further explained that the parcels seized in India contained 38 kilograms of heroin, 71 kg of hashish, 1 kg cocaine and 41 kg amphetamine-type stimulants.

The report found that the low cost of over-the-counter pharmaceutical preparations containing narcotics and psychotropic substances resulted in high profit margin. Moreover, its easy availability was perceived as if they were less harmful than illicitly manufactured drugs.

Experts preparing the report have suggested plugging the gaps that still remained in the proper implementation and monitoring of compliance by pharmacies. It is another matter that all the countries in South Asia, including India, have a regulatory regime in place. It includes prescription requirements for controlled pharmaceuticals.

Cristina Albertin, UNODC representative for South Asia, said the study found that over half of the medicines were counterfeit and they were increasingly targeting youngsters through the social media. “Drugs and pharmaceutical preparations are being smuggled out of India into neighbouring countries,” she noted. “The INCB has recommended that all illegal internet pharmacies should be closed and their orders must be seized immediately.”

DISGUISED ACCESS
Parcel sent out of India  in 2011	Parcel seized within India in 2011	Heroin seized in parcel	Hashish seized in parcel	Cocaine seized in parcel	Amphetamine seized in parcel
29	152.00	38 kg	71 kg	1 kg	41 kg
** Narcotics Control Bureau has arrested 10 doctors and detected illegal internet pharmacies.