An array of posters against drug abuse are displayed at the Government General Hospital at Kozhikode beach. File photo
| Photo Credit: K. Ragesh
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Wednesday, Janury 18, 2023, organised a virtual Expert Working Group Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member-countries on the issue of “precursor control”.
The meeting was attended by representatives from Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan. India is holding the presidency of SCO for the first time since becoming a permanent member in 2017 and is hosting several meetings on various sectors. Under its chair, the Indian government is organising five meetings related to drug matters.
On Wednesday, NCB Director-General Satya Narayan Pradhan inaugurated the virtual meeting on “precursor control”.
“During his opening remarks, he reminded the forum that the proximity to major heroin-producing regions has entailed for SCO member countries to have closer cooperation and coordination on matters related to drug trafficking,” said the agency in a statement.
Mr. Pradhan called for coordinated action to counter the diversion and illicit supply of precursor chemicals which are the “backbone for production of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances”.
Areas discussed
“The meeting deliberated on various aspects of trafficking in precursor chemicals, sharing of the best practices in precursor control, regulations on precursors envisaged by the member- states, mechanism of sharing information and ways to deny access of precursor chemicals by Afghan-based drug trafficking syndicates,” it said.
The participants also reviewed the implementation of the Work Plan (2021-2023) of the SCO Anti-Drug Strategy (2018-2023). “The outcome of the meeting resulted in deliverable actions by the member-states which agreed to work in tandem and cohesion. The meeting ended with a vote of thanks by Sanjay Kumar Singh, Deputy Director-General (Ops.), NCB,” said the agency.
The next Expert Group Meeting on Law Enforcement and Drug Related Crimes of the SCO members will be organised virtually by the NCB on February 15.
