India has suggested the formation of a BRICS Virtual Working Group to enhance real-time intelligence sharing and coordinated actions against transnational drug syndicates. The proposal was made during the BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting in Guwahati, held under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026. The meeting aims to bolster collaboration among anti-drug agencies from BRICS member nations to combat the global challenges of drug trafficking and substance abuse.
During the event’s opening session, Anurag Garg, Director General of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and leader of the Indian delegation, emphasized the need for swift and seamless intelligence sharing across borders. He stressed the importance of building partnerships based on speed and trust to enable quick responses against organized international drug trafficking networks. Garg highlighted the necessity for increased coordination, faster information exchange, and stronger operational collaboration among BRICS countries due to the growing sophistication of transnational drug syndicates.
India’s anti-drug strategy, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, focuses on a zero-tolerance policy against narcotics. Garg outlined India’s three-year roadmap for 2026-2029, emphasizing a network-centric enforcement approach. The strategy aims to dismantle entire criminal networks, conduct large-scale awareness campaigns to prevent drug abuse, and enhance treatment, de-addiction, and rehabilitation mechanisms.
As part of its recommendations, India proposed the establishment of a BRICS Virtual Working Group to facilitate real-time intelligence exchange, analyze emerging trafficking trends, coordinate enforcement operations, and develop a collaborative framework to combat evolving drug-related threats. The participating countries are expected to discuss synthetic drugs, cross-border trafficking routes, technology-enabled narcotics networks, and ways to strengthen collective enforcement capabilities during the two-day meeting.
The meeting is anticipated to conclude with a renewed commitment to enhancing cooperation among BRICS nations through intelligence-led operations, capacity building, and coordinated efforts against international drug trafficking networks.
