Drone drug trafficking surges 100-fold in 5 years, NCB data shows
NEW DELHI: A dramatic increase in drone-based drug smuggling has been recorded along the India-Pakistan border, with the number of such incidents rising from three in 2021 to 305 in 2025, according to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) data released by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The data, which covers the year 2025, shows that 468 kg of high-purity contraband was seized in drone-related cases, a 98% increase in quantity over the previous year. Punjab accounted for 298 of the 305 incidents, with seizures primarily involving heroin and methamphetamine.
In addition to drone trafficking, pharmaceutical drug diversion has seen a 77% increase between 2021 and 2025, with annual seizures peaking at 2,43,111 kg before slightly declining to 2,37,390 kg in 2025. Punjab also led in the seizure of codeine-based cough syrup bottles, with 8,95,508 bottles recovered, alongside illegal distribution of buprenorphine, tramadol, and alprazolam.
Traditional smuggling via courier and postal networks remains a challenge, with 174 cases and 972 kg of contraband seized through postal channels. The NCB report also highlights the growth of clandestine synthetic drug laboratories. In 2025, authorities dismantled 30 such labs, surpassing the combined total of the previous three years, and arrested 102 individuals. These labs were concentrated in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, producing mephedrone, ephedrine, and illicit psychotropic tablets.
To counter these networks, authorities have intensified efforts against international operatives and their financial structures. A total of 747 foreign nationals were arrested, with the largest groups from Nepal (203), Nigeria (146), and Myanmar (97). Financial investigations rose to 1,356 cases, freezing or seizing Rs 836 crore in cartel assets, a significant increase from Rs 164.93 crore five years ago.
The use of the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act has also increased, with preventive detention orders against financiers and kingpins jumping more than sevenfold to 810 orders, aiming to dismantle the economic ecosystem of organised crime.
