India will host the BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting in Guwahati, Assam, on July 6 and 7, bringing together the heads of anti-drug agencies and senior officials from BRICS member countries to strengthen cooperation against emerging challenges in global drug trafficking and substance abuse.
Organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the two-day meeting aims to deepen institutional cooperation among BRICS nations and transform the grouping’s engagement on narcotics control from dialogue-based discussions to structured, action-oriented collaboration.
The meeting comes at a time when the global drug trafficking landscape is undergoing rapid changes, driven by the proliferation of synthetic drugs, New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), darknet-enabled trafficking networks and cryptocurrency-based financial transactions used by organised criminal groups. Against this backdrop, India will seek to promote stronger operational coordination, intelligence sharing, capacity building and collective responses to emerging drug-related threats.
The discussions will focus on three key priority areas: combating synthetic drugs and the diversion of precursor chemicals, strengthening intelligence sharing and operational coordination among member countries, and enhancing institutional cooperation and capacity building.
The meeting will also provide India an opportunity to highlight its intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking and substance abuse under its vision of a Drug-Free India. The government noted that while it has strengthened enforcement against illicit drug networks, equal emphasis is being placed on awareness campaigns, community participation and treatment and rehabilitation for those affected by addiction.
India recently unveiled its Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026–2029), which seeks to further strengthen institutional capacity and promote a whole-of-government, network-centric approach to tackling drug-related challenges.
As chair of the meeting, India will advocate enhanced cooperation through the exchange of information on clandestine laboratories and emerging synthetic drug trends, closer monitoring of precursor chemicals and pharmaceutical substances, intelligence sharing, joint training programmes, expert exchanges and the dissemination of best practices among BRICS countries.
During the two-day event, delegates will review the drug situation in their respective countries and participate in six thematic sessions addressing key global challenges. The sessions will examine the use of digital technology for real-time drug interdiction, strategies to combat drug trafficking through the darknet, responses to emerging New Psychoactive Substances, measures to strengthen global supply chains against precursor diversion and chemical leakage, initiatives aimed at reducing drug demand, and ways to reinforce institutional mechanisms for international cooperation.
The meeting is expected to conclude with the adoption of a Joint Declaration outlining the shared commitment of BRICS nations to strengthen collective efforts against drug trafficking and substance abuse.
India’s BRICS Chairmanship in 2026 is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” The grouping comprises 11 emerging economies – Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates – and serves as an important platform for cooperation on global political, economic and governance issues.
