Myanmar emerges as major opium source, impacting India's eastern borders: NCB report
Following the Taliban's 2022 ban on drugs in Afghanistan, Myanmar has become a primary global opium source, significantly impacting India's eastern borders. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) 2026 annual report highlights that Myanmar's illicit opium cultivation expanded by 56% between 2021-2023, reaching 45,200 hectares. Manipur and Mizoram, with their porous borders and Free Movement Regime, serve as direct entry points for drugs like heroin and methamphetamine into India. Drone-based trafficking from Pakistan also saw a 100-fold increase in incidents over five years, particularly affecting Punjab, indicating the growing operational maturity of trafficking networks using UAVs.
Key Points
- Myanmar has emerged as a major global opium source after the Taliban's drug ban in Afghanistan.
- Myanmar's illicit opium cultivation expanded by 56% between 2021 and 2023, reaching 45,200 hectares.
- India's eastern borders, particularly through Manipur and Mizoram, are direct and porous entry points for drug trafficking.
- Drone-based drug trafficking from Pakistan into India, especially Punjab, has seen a 100-fold increase in incidents over five years.
- The NCB report highlights the operational maturity of trafficking networks using UAVs to bypass traditional border controls.
Exam Facts
- Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) 2026 annual report.
- Myanmar's opium cultivation increased by 56% (2021-2023).
- 45,200 hectares under poppy cultivation in Myanmar.
- Taliban's 2022 drug ban in Afghanistan.
- Mizoram accounted for 1,477 kg of seized amphetamine-type stimulants in 2025.
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