Delegates resolve to enhance capacity building to prevent and
counter illicit drug trafficking
The Narcotics Control Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs organized
the 2nd anti-drug Working Group meeting of Heads of Drug Control Agencies of
BRICS countries here today. The meeting was inaugurated by the Union Home
Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh earlier in the day. The meeting assumes
significance as India shall be hosting the eighth BRICS summit in October, 2016
in Goa. The seventh BRICS summit was held in July 2015 in Russia.
In keeping
with the spirit of the eThekwani Declaration, the first anti-drug working group
meeting of Heads of Drug Control Agencies of BRICS countries was organized at
Moscow, Russia in November, 2015. The meeting organized by the Narcotics
Control Bureau, India today was the second such meeting of the Heads of Drug
Control Agencies. Besides the delegates from the member countries, senior
officers from the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Health and Family welfare and
Narcotics Control Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs along with the Directors
General of Border Guarding Forces and the Paramilitary attended the inaugural
session.
The Union
Home Minister in his address highlighted the importance accorded to the BRICS
by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. The Home Minister emphasized that
India attaches a lot of value to the BRICS as an Association of fast developing
economies. It was the need of the hour that BRICS expanded its mandate to cover
and discuss issues relating to trafficking of narcotics and the looming menace
of narco-terrorism.
The Director
General, NCB Shri Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar in his speech highlighted the fact of
generation of illicit fund flows in the drug trade, which were a source of
funding for anti national activities and narco-terrorism. He emphasized that
there was a need to disrupt this fund flow.
The
delegates from the five BRICS countries, viz Brazil, Russia, India, China and
South Africa participated in the discussions which followed the inaugural
session. The meeting was chaired by Shri Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Director General,
Narcotics Control Bureau, who was leading the Indian delegation.
During the
meeting, the participants discussed the drug trafficking situation including
the illicit cultivation and production of Opium and Heroin in South West Asia
and South East Asia and illicit cultivation of Coca bush in South America, and
Illicit cultivation of Cannabis plant used for production of Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances, diversion and trafficking of precursor chemicals,
illicit financial flows from drug proceeds, financing of terrorism in certain
cases, maritime drug trafficking and challenges and emergence of new psycho-active
substances that have posed serious threat to health, safety and well being of
society across globe, especially of the youth and also undermines the economic,
social and political stability and development of BRICS member states.
The
delegates also resolved to develop and enhance cooperation and collaboration
among the Member States to monitor current trends and drug trafficking routes,
exchange of information among the drug law enforcement agencies, share and
exchange experiences, best practices and enhance capacity building in order to prevent
and counter illicit drug trafficking and related crimes.
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KSD/NK/PK/KM