Anti-Drug Working Group BRICS
The 4th Session of the BRICS Anti-Drug Working Group chaired by Russia was held recently through a video conference. India raised the misuse of darknet and modern technology for drug trafficking by the international criminals.
Important Highlights
- Also stressed upon nodal points for enabling real-time information sharing among BRICS nations.
Darknet
- It is related to the hidden internet platform that is being used for narcotics sale, exchange of pornographic content and other illegal activities.
- Using secret alleys of the onion router such as ToR which is a free and open-source software for enabling anonymous communication for staying away from the surveillance of law enforcement agencies.
- Due to its end-to-end encryption, it becomes tough to crack ToR.
- The dark net is part of the deep web that covers all unindexed sites which don՚t pop up during internet search.
- All the activities associated with the deep web are not nefarious.
- Due to password protection, pages are not searchable in most cases, authorization is required to get the access.
- Under the umbrella of the deep web, personal email, online banking, and other similar sites are induced.
UNODC Report May 2020
- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Report (UNODC) .
- There might be an initial statistical reduction in drug seizures due to Covid-19 induced lockdowns and movement restrictions, though it is unlikely to have any impact on illicit drug supply.
- India has been quoted by UNODC as one of the major hubs of illicit drug trade ranging from age-old cannabis to newer prescriptions drugs such as tramadol and designer drugs like methamphetamine.
- India also lies in the middle of two major illicit opium production regions:
- The Golden Crescent (Iran-Afghanistan Pakistan) in the west.
- The Golden Triangle (South-East Asia) in the east.
India՚s Anti-Drug Action Plan
Launched for the 2020 - 21 includes Drop-in-Centres for Addicts, De-addiction Facilities, Drug-Free India Campaign, and Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts (IRCAs) .
Golden Triangle
- Represents the region coinciding with the rural mountains of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand.
- Apart from being one of the oldest narcotics supply routes to Europe and North America, Golden Triangle is Southeast Asia՚s main opium-producing region.
Golden Crescent
- It comprises Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.
- This region is also a principal global site as far as opium production and distribution are concerned.
✍Examrace Team at Dec 2, 2021