Guwahati to Host BRICS Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting
BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting in Guwahati
A file image from BRICS 2024
New Delhi, July 5: Guwahati is preparing to host the BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting on July 6 and 7. This event will gather leading drug enforcement officials from member nations to enhance global collaboration against transnational drug trafficking and emerging narcotics threats.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), is organizing this two-day conference. It will feature discussions among Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies and senior representatives from BRICS countries, focusing on the drug challenges faced in their regions. The agenda includes six thematic sessions that will tackle evolving global issues in drug control.
As stated by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the meeting aims to bolster institutional continuity and foster operational collaboration among the drug enforcement agencies of BRICS nations.
Key topics for discussion in Guwahati will include three main areas: combating synthetic drugs and the diversion of precursor chemicals, enhancing intelligence sharing and operational coordination, and improving capacity building and institutional collaboration.
The six thematic sessions will cover various aspects, such as utilizing digital technologies for real-time drug interdiction, addressing narcotics trafficking via the darknet, managing the rise of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), preventing the diversion of precursor chemicals, reducing drug demand, and strengthening institutional frameworks for coordinated enforcement.
The meeting will conclude with a joint declaration aimed at solidifying the outcomes of the discussions.
The Ministry emphasized that India considers the Guwahati meeting a crucial step in evolving BRICS cooperation from mere dialogue to structured, action-oriented collaboration that emphasizes operational coordination, intelligence sharing, capacity building, and collective responses to emerging drug threats.
In its statement, the ministry pointed out that the global landscape of drug trafficking has changed dramatically, with the rapid proliferation of synthetic drugs, NPS, darknet-enabled trafficking, and cryptocurrency transactions presenting increasingly complex transnational challenges.
Simultaneously, advancements in interdiction technologies, data analytics, and financial intelligence have created new opportunities for enhanced international cooperation and coordinated enforcement actions.
The Ministry also noted that India has fortified its anti-narcotics framework in recent years through a comprehensive government approach and network-centric strategies.
As part of these initiatives, India has introduced the Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026–2029) to further strengthen institutional capabilities in combating drug trafficking.
Guided by the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," India's BRICS Chairship reflects the people-centric and humanity-first approach articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2025 Rio Summit.