Manipur has become a transit hub for the drug trade. Illegal narcotics and psychotropic substances from Myanmar are trafficked into Manipur and, from there, transported to Mizoram, Assam, Meghalaya, and the rest of India.
Myanmar is the world’s second-largest producer of opium and heroin; its poorly fenced and porous border with India facilitates the smooth flow of illicit narcotics and firearms into the nation; in recent months, the illegal drug trade has witnessed a significant spike across the India-Myanmar border.
Furthermore, organised crime gangs, militants and insurgents smuggle drugs and firearms, launder money and traffic humans. They use the money generated from these illicit activities to fuel conflicts in India’s northeastern region.
Notably, organisations like the Kangleipak Communist Party, National Socialist Party of Nagaland (NSCN ), and United Liberation Front of Assam ( ULFA ) are extensively involved in the distribution of drugs in North East India. These militant organisations operating in North East India use the same drug routes to travel into Myanmar as they see it as a safe haven.
The Free Movement Regime (FMR) is another reason drugs and arms are easily transited into the region. Enacted by India in 2018 as part of its Act East Policy, the FMR promotes cross-border movement up to sixteen kilometres without requiring a visa.
The Indian-Myanmar border had separated many local communities in the region; with the establishment of the FMR, these communities could travel across the border with an accepted permit of one year, providing cross-border stays lasting up to two weeks.
However, the act has been misused by illegal migrants, insurgents and ethnic militia groups to gain unlawful entry into India. Moreover, they use it to transport illicit narcotics and firearms. They traffic human beings and force them to join insurgent groups.
The Government of India has considered discontinuing the FMR. However, the proposal has received backlash from local communities, social activist groups, and even the Mizoram government, who argue that it could disrupt ethnic ties and create distrust towards the government.
The harsh, rugged terrain, including mountains, rivers, and dense forests, causes hindrances to the proper construction and patrolling of the border. The lack of government control over these areas has caused instability in the region, leading to the rampant production of narcotics.
Most insurgent groups in the region train their militia in camps around the border. The United National Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and National Socialist Party of Nagaland (NSCN) have outposts in regions close to the border; these outposts openly recruit and train cadets, store firearms and trade in narcotics.
Due to the harsh and hostile terrains, patrolling the region becomes almost impossible. The Assam Rifles Paramilitary Force is the primary governmental body responsible for maintaining security along the India-Myanmar border. However, the region’s harsh environment hampers their patrolling and response time.
By constructing barbed wire fences along the border, India hoped to curtail organised crime in the regions surrounding the border. However, it did not succeed in doing so.
Drug trafficking in the region is deeply connected with the local political scenario. The drug cartels usually cooperate with the local state institutions to control the drug trade. The cooperation between politicians, law enforcement and drug kingpins remains a crucial issue in curbing the drug trade in the region.
Law enforcement agencies responsible for preventing the illegal drug trade in the area ended up providing safe passage to the traffickers. As a result, the flow of narcotics is astronomical, making it challenging to handle the root causes of the problem. Law enforcement agencies must prevent corruption to prevent the cooperation between these agencies and the drug kingpins.
India is the only country in Asia that provides farmers with licenses to produce opium for medicinal purposes. The farmers are required to sell their entire opium harvest to the government. However, illicit poppy cultivation is widespread in the North Eastern States; these states also share a border with Myanmar’s Kachin state, which makes the transfer of narcotics easier.
Poppy cultivation is widespread in Manipur; tribal communities illegally grow poppy in the hills. It is widespread in Ukhrul, Senapati, Kangpokpi, Kampong, Churachandpur, and Tengnoupal mountains.
Opium production in Myanmar is concentrated amongst the regions of Shan, Kachin, Saigang, and Chin. The recent trends in the country have shifted from traditional opium cultivation to more synthetic drugs such as amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS).
Opium production in Myanmar has advantages over other crops. The cultivation of opium is faster, easier to grow, and has a longer shelf life. Opium also has a higher bulk price than other crops.
In the last decade, synthetic drugs have become more prevalent. As a result, opium production in the region has decreased. Opium requires suitable soil, conducive weather conditions and manual labour to yield a good harvest. In contrast, synthetic drugs can be produced indoors. They are not as labour-intensive. Moreover, the cost of the raw materials required to make synthetic drugs is also low.
The production of methamphetamine tablets has increased in the region. The Shan State region in Myanmar has become the centre for the production of methamphetamine tablets — not just in Myanmar but in entire East and South-East Asia.
Armed groups such as the United Wa State Army and the National Democratic Alliance Army operate out of this region. These armed groups often collaborate with organised crime groups and carry out smuggling operations in Myanmar, India and Southeast Asia.
Myanmar’s political instability further escalates the problems of corruption, trafficking, and crime. The military junta in Myanmar has been preoccupied with establishing control over the country, while the resistance groups in Myanmar are trying to remove the military from power. Political instabilities, as such, further complicate efforts to establish peace and order
India and Myanmar have together been involved in combating illicit arms and narcotics smuggling along the border; the two countries have signed multiple memorandums of understanding (MoUs) concerning intelligence sharing and joint operations to prevent illegal trade. But such MoUs have are mere paper tigers.
The India-Myanmar border problems extend beyond the border, spilling into the surrounding regions and exacerbating security, social, economic, and political vulnerabilities.
Given these challenges, India and Myanmar must cooperate to curb smuggling. Strategic approaches and diplomatic engagement are necessary on both regional and international levels. Understanding the root cause of the issue is essential to eradicate the problem of smuggling in the region.
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