The Indian Government is taking stringent steps to restrict the online trade of narcotics and other regulated substances. In a call to action, it has reached out to the industry, particularly to business-to-business (B2B) portals, urging them to delist such items from their platforms.
The Government’s Approach
As part of this initiative, the Government has given B2B portals a list of around 400 items that include narcotics and psychotropic substances. This move comes in the wake of an investigation by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) into the online B2B marketplace, IndiaMART, in September 2018. The online platform was found listing acetic anhydride, a substance used in the production of heroin.
About the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)
Established in 1986 by the Government of India under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, the Narcotics Control Bureau was created to exercise the powers and functions of the Central Government as specified by the Act. Spearheading the National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, the Bureau is tasked with the control of drug abuse in the country.
Subsequent Actions by B2B Portals
Following the government’s directives, these B2B portals have taken significant steps to ensure the delisting of controlled substances from their platforms.
In January 2019, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) conducted a workshop in Bangkok to create greater industry awareness about the issue.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Investigation into IndiaMART by NCB |
| 2019 | Workshop by INCB in Bangkok |
| 2020 | Indian Government’s appeal to B2B portals |
The Concern Highlighted by INCB Report 2018
The INCB Report 2018 underscored the growing prevalence of the internet as a marketplace for drugs and precursors. It also indicated that courier services were increasingly being used for delivering these illicit substances. The report highlighted India as a transit country for illegally produced opiates, specifically heroin, that originate from Afghanistan and are trafficked through the country via Pakistan, en route to Europe and North America (mainly Canada).
About the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), an independent monitoring body for the implementation of the United Nations international drug control conventions, was inaugurated in 1968 in line with the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961. This body, created by combining the Permanent Central Narcotics Board and the Drug Supervisory Body, is responsible for regulating the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988. India is a signatory to all three treaties. With a membership of 13, which includes 10 members nominated by Governments and 3 members nominated by the World Health Organization, the INCB is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.
