New Delhi, Aug. 5 (ANI): Organized drug trafficking syndicates are increasingly using digital platforms, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat, Zangi, Signal, and social media, to coordinate the procurement, transportation, concealment, and distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
In a written reply to a member of Parliament, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the information emerged during investigations conducted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the central agency responsible for investigating cases involving narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
“During investigations of drug trafficking cases by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), instances of the use of digital platforms by drug traffickers have come to notice,” Rai said.
The minister added that NCB investigations have revealed the use of digital platforms, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat, Zangi, Signal, and social media, by organized drug trafficking syndicates to coordinate the procurement, transportation, concealment, and distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
To combat technology-enabled drug trafficking and related criminal activities, Rai said the government has implemented several measures through the NCB.
He said cyber experts have been engaged to strengthen the agency’s ability to investigate darknet-enabled drug trafficking and cryptocurrency-based transactions.
In addition, capacity-building programs are being conducted regularly in collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Rashtriya Raksha University in Gandhinagar for officers of the NCB and other drug law enforcement agencies. The programs are designed to strengthen capabilities in cyber-enabled narcotics investigations, digital forensics, darknet monitoring, cryptocurrency investigations, and technology-enabled drug trafficking investigations. (ANI)
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