India, US Conduct Joint Preparations Against Global Drug Networks
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that can be 100 times more potent than morphine, is now the most common drug involved in overdose deaths in the US.
New Delhi: India and the United States have conducted joint operations to dismantle transnational narcotic networks, resulting in several key seizures, New Delhi said on Wednesday. Preparations are also underway for the sixth meeting of the India-US Counter-Narcotics Working Group.
At his weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said there is “very strong institutional cooperation” between the two countries and noted that operational collaboration on counter-narcotics efforts has significantly increased.
It may be recalled that at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed a G20 initiative on “Countering the Drug–Terror Nexus” to combat the trafficking of extremely lethal drugs, particularly fentanyl. Modi said, “Extremely lethal drugs, especially fentanyl, are spreading rapidly. This has become a serious challenge to public health, social stability, and global security, and is also a major source of terror financing. To effectively address this global threat, India proposes a G20 initiative to counter the drug-terror nexus.”
Earlier this year, a CNN report cited a new US intelligence assessment claiming that India had emerged as a growing player in the illicit fentanyl trade. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that can be 100 times more potent than morphine, is now the most common drug involved in overdose deaths in the US.
According to the report, China remains the largest source of both legal fentanyl supplies and illicit precursor chemicals, which are typically processed in Mexico into the final drug before being smuggled across the US border. However, the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment (ATA) by the Office of the US director of National Intelligence noted that India’s role in the illegal trade is increasing.
The assessment stated, “Non-state groups are often enabled, directly or indirectly, by state actors such as China and India as sources of precursors and equipment for drug traffickers. China remains the primary source country for illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill-pressing equipment, followed by India.”
