There is a silent epidemic that has gripped the Indian youth and is threatening to derail not just their future but also that of the country. The drug menace has reached frightening proportions, and it is scary that this hasn’t become the most talked about subject in the country. We are still stuck with burial places of long-dead tyrants or what they did three hundred years ago to bother about what is happening around us. One needs only to scroll through the news about drug busts happening across the country to have an idea of what we are about to face.
Narcotics valued at more than Rs`11,311 crore were confiscated from harbours throughout the nation in 19 separate operations during the last five years, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently told the Lok Sabha in response to a question from the opposition leader. The highest volume and worth of trafficked substances was documented at the Adani Port, SEZ Mundra in Gujarat on September 19, 2021, when central authorities intercepted 2,988 kg heroin estimated at `5,976 crore. The next major interception, according to the minister’s statement, consisted of 303 kg cocaine valued at `1,515 crore, captured at VOC port, Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu on April 20, 2021.
In November 2024, the Narcotics Bureau and Delhi Police’s Crime Branch busted a drug cartel involving a Mexican drug lord in Gautam Buddha Nagar’s Kasana Industrial area. Law enforcement leadership is concerned that this manufacturing facility indicates the country’s evolution from a drug trafficking corridor into a nation that both makes and uses dangerous narcotics such as methamphetamine.
The emergence of international drug cartels setting up operations in India marked a disturbing shift in the nation’s narcotics landscape. While intelligence agencies had monitored the movements of Mexico’s CJNG throughout Delhi-NCR, the discovery of their manufacturing facility in Gautam Buddha Nagar sent shockwaves through law enforcement circles. This wasn’t just another trafficking route, India had evolved into a production hub for dangerous synthetic drugs. The Kasana Industrial area facility, disguised as a chemical processing plant, housed sophisticated equipment for manufacturing methamphetamine. Local workers, hired under the pretence of producing industrial cleaning supplies, unknowingly participated in one of the largest drug operations uncovered in North India. The Mexican cartel operative, identified only by his alias “El Químico,” had established intricate supply chains by exploiting India’s robust pharmaceutical industry and chemical manufacturing capabilities. Beyond the immediate law enforcement challenges, the presence of international cartels threatened to accelerate India’s growing drug crisis. Domestic production means easier access, lower prices, and potentially more users. The social impact looms large, addiction rates in urban areas had already risen sharply over the previous five years. Other international syndicates had begun exploring similar opportunities, drawn by the same factors that attracted the Mexican cartel. The race was on between law enforcement and organised crime, with India’s youth hanging in the balance.
Among the drugs frequently used by India’s population are marijuana products (like weed, hashish, and hemp-based drinks), as well as opium derivatives and locally produced prescription medications, each playing a role in the nation’s drug dependency issues.
In 2022, the central government submitted a report to the Supreme Court that an alarming 15.8 million youths between the ages of 10 and 17 battle substance addiction nationwide. Based on findings from a court-mandated research study, alcoholic beverages rank as the primary mind-altering substance consumed by the population, with marijuana and opioid-based drugs following behind.
The connection between rising drug use and crime rates in India has become increasingly evident, with law enforcement officials noting a disturbing correlation. Police records from major metropolitan areas show that property crimes, assaults, and organised criminal activities have surged in direct proportion to drug trafficking routes.
Educational institutions have become prime targets for drug distribution networks. Peddlers specifically target schools and colleges, employing students as customers and distributors. The pattern repeats across urban centers — from Delhi to Bengaluru, Mumbai to Kolkata —where drugs infiltrate campuses through sophisticated distribution channels that exploit vulnerable youth.
For parents, the warning signs often go unrecognised until addiction takes hold. Behavioural changes, academic decline, and financial irregularities might indicate substance abuse problems. School administrators face similar challenges in detection and prevention, with many institutions lacking proper screening protocols or counselling resources. We are yet to take this issue seriously enough.
The anticipated demographic dividend that experts believed would drive India’s financial expansion now confronts the grave challenge of drug addiction. The toll on society reaches beyond personal disasters to affect countrywide advancement targets. Neighborhood-level interventions have demonstrated success in certain areas, but current efforts remain scattered and inadequate. India faces a clear dilemma: tackle the narcotics crisis systematically or sacrifice its most valuable resource — its young people. We are sitting on a ticking time bomb.
