India calls for greater international cooperation to combat trade in synthetic drugs used by terrorists

New York, Sept 25 (IANS) India has called for greater international cooperation to combat the trade in synthetic drugs, which is being used by terrorists against the country.

Minister of External Affairs (EAM) S Jaishankar on Tuesday stressed the need for enhanced operational cooperation, intelligence sharing and closer law enforcement collaboration to combat trafficking in synthetic drugs.

He was speaking at the summit of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats, which was hosted by US President Joe Biden.

India has long been troubled by the links between terrorist groups and drug trafficking, EAM Jaishankar said.

According to him, drugs are smuggled into India through cross-border criminal organisations and the proceeds are used to finance terrorism.

Biden said the fight against synthetic drugs “is a global challenge and requires global solutions.”

According to him, drug manufacturers and traffickers continue to “fuel violence, corruption and instability”.

“We cannot allow pharmaceutical manufacturers and cartels to continue to change their practices and rapidly develop new chemicals to evade our efforts; we must act faster,” he said, adding: “We must cut them off at the pass.”

According to the coalition, synthetic drugs include fentanyl, methamphetamine, captagon and MDMA, which are often more potent – ​​and deadlier – than plant-based drugs such as cocaine or heroin.

They can be made anywhere using commonly available chemicals and equipment, the report said. The chemicals used to make them are known as precursor chemicals.

EAM Jaishankar said that India, as co-chair of ‘Working Group 1’, has taken a proactive stance and focused on preventing illicit production and trade of synthetic drugs.

India and the US have intensified their cooperation in the fight against drugs, he said, referring to the Memorandum of Understanding on US-India Drug Policy Framework for the 21st Century, reached during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with President Joe Biden last week in Wilmington, Delaware.

The Counter Narcotics Working Group of the two countries has met four times, he said.

The fact sheet released after the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Biden said that they “indicated their commitment to the objectives of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drugs Threats and are working to combat the threat of synthetic drugs and their precursors through mutually agreed initiatives to promote public health through coordinated actions.”