BRICS countries adopt 'Guwahati Declaration' to combat drug trafficking, focus on cooperation

Guwahati, Jul 7 (PTI) Heads of anti-drug agencies from BRICS countries on Tuesday adopted the 'Guwahati Declaration' at the end of a two-day meeting here, reaffirming their commitment to strengthen cooperation to combat narcotics trafficking and related transnational organised crimes. The declaration underscored the need for timely exchange of information, intelligence and best practices among member countries, in accordance with national laws and international obligations, an official release said. The declaration also emphasised the promotion of innovative technologies, digital tools and data-driven approaches to strengthen law enforcement and regulatory efforts against drug trafficking, it added. The BRICS countries expressed concern over the evolving nature of drug trafficking, proliferation of synthetic drugs and New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), the diversion of precursor chemicals, misuse of emerging technologies and virtual assets and exploitation of maritime routes and digital platforms by transnational criminal networks. "The member countries underlined the need to strengthen specialised initiatives for drug demand reduction, promote healthy lifestyles and safeguard those in vulnerable situations, particularly children and youth, through evidence-based, comprehensive and people-centred approaches," the statement said. During the high-level closed-door meeting, India called upon BRICS drug law enforcement agencies to build a partnership founded on speed, mutual trust and seamless real-time intelligence sharing that transcends borders and enables decisive action against transnational drug syndicates. Leading the Indian delegation, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Director General Anurag Garg said that the country has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against drugs and a three-year roadmap (2026–2029) based on a network-centric approach. "The strategy focuses on dismantling entire criminal networks, preventing drug abuse through mass awareness campaigns and strengthening treatment, de-addiction and rehabilitation measures," the release said. In his closing remarks, Garg highlighted the hyper-connected and jurisdiction-less nature of 21st-century drug trafficking and observed that national anti-drug agencies have to create networks to break these transnational trafficking networks. He called upon the BRICS nations to carry forward the spirit of the 'Guwahati Declaration' and work collectively towards the shared objective of a drug-free world and a safer, healthier global community for generations to come. The NCB DG highlighted India's proposal of setting up a BRICS Virtual Working Group and enhanced cross-border training initiatives. During the two-day meeting, the member nations deliberated on the prevailing drug situation in their respective countries and participated in thematic sessions focusing on pressing and emerging global challenges. The discussions covered key issues, including leveraging digital technology for real-time drug interdiction, countering drug trafficking through the darknet, tackling the growing threat of NPS and reinforcing global supply chains against precursor diversion and chemical leakage. India's BRICS Chairship in 2026 is guided by the overarching theme -- 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' -- and it brought together Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia and the United Arab Emirates in the meeting of BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies in Guwahati. BRICS, initially comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with Indonesia joining in 2025. The grouping has emerged as an influential bloc, bringing together 11 major emerging economies that account for around 49.5 per cent of the world's population, about 40 per cent of global GDP and nearly 26 per cent of global trade. In addition to the 11 member nations, 10 partner countries joined BRICS in 2025 -- Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. PTI TR TR MNB