Nigeria, India agree to share intelligence on drug trafficking syndicates

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disclosed that the country has agreed to share vital intelligence on the activities of drug trafficking with India to a syndicate operating vulnerable drug routes in both countries.

This is contained in a statement by NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi on Tuesday. He noted that India has also agreed to strengthen the capacity of NDLEA officers with training.

“This was part of recommendations and agreements reached at the end of a two-day bilateral meeting held in New Delhi, India between an NDLEA delegation led by its Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, and India counterpart, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), led by its Director General, Satya Narayan Pradhan,” Femi said

Femi added that the meeting also recommended the exchange of best practices in drug demand reduction and sharing of real-time information on the involvement of nationals of both countries in drug trafficking as well as conducting joint operations while agreeing to hold another bilateral meeting in Nigeria in 2023.

The NDLEA spokesman noted that another key objective of the meeting was the collaboration between NDLEA and NCB on how to control the importation of tramadol above 100 mg as well as certain categories of precursors into Nigeria.

In his address, NDLEA chairman, Marwa underscored the importance of the meeting to the global action against drug trafficking given the historical antecedents of both countries, the commonality of language, legal systems, population, and the existing robust trade relations.

Marwa reiterated the need for strengthened collaboration between the two agencies in the fight against illicit drug cultivation, production, and trafficking. While highlighting Nigeria’s drug use and trafficking challenges, he noted the increased national efforts to adopt a balanced approach to addressing both the drug supply and demand reduction.

He further underlined the importance of international cooperation and stakeholders’ engagement, adding that Nigeria has a “National Drug Control Master Plan as the veritable tool
to drug control and enforcement, which has facilitated effective coordination at federal and state levels and 1s being encouraged at the local government level.”

Marwa also expressed the hope that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would define the relationship between the two agencies regarding information sharing, assets tracing, and forfeiture of assets found to be connected to, and/or proceeds, of drug trafficking, would be finalized soon.

In his remarks, Satya Narayan Pradhan of NCB, head of the Indian delegation, welcomed the delegations of both countries for the meeting. while he highlighted the issues particularly the trafficking of Heroin and Amphetamine Type Stimulants (ATS) in the country. He said that drug trafficking through maritime and air routes is a challenge for both countries.

Pradhan also elaborated on trends showing the emergence of illicit drug trafficking through couriers, dark-net markets, and social media platforms with a promise to share information about the latest machinery and technologies to fight emerging threats.