NEW DELHI: India is all set to host the BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting in Guwahati on July 6-7, bringing together heads of anti-narcotics agencies and senior officials from the 11-member grouping to strengthen operational-level cooperation against evolving transnational drug threats, officials said on Sunday.
The two-day meeting, hosted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), is aimed at enhancing institutional continuity, intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement among BRICS nations as the global narcotics landscape undergoes rapid transformation, they said.
According to the officials, the meeting assumes significance amid the growing threat posed by synthetic drugs, New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), darknet-enabled trafficking and cryptocurrency-based financial transactions that increasingly facilitate international drug networks. These emerging challenges demand stronger cross-border cooperation, while advances in interdiction technologies, data analytics and financial intelligence offer new opportunities for coordinated action.
India, which holds the BRICS Chairmanship in 2026, intends to use the platform to move the grouping’s anti-drug cooperation beyond dialogue towards structured, action-oriented collaboration. The focus will be on strengthening operational coordination, intelligence exchange, capacity building and collective responses to emerging drug-related threats.
The discussions will centre on three priority areas including combating synthetic drugs and diversion of precursor chemicals, strengthening intelligence sharing and operational coordination, and enhancing institutional cooperation and capacity building among member countries.
The meeting also provides India an opportunity to highlight its intensified campaign against drug trafficking and substance abuse. The government has stepped up enforcement against illicit drug syndicates and organised criminal networks while simultaneously expanding awareness campaigns, community participation and treatment programmes for people affected by addiction.
As part of its whole-of-government and network-centric strategy, India has recently unveiled the Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-2029), aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and reinforcing the country's anti-drug framework.
During its chairmanship, India will seek greater collaboration among BRICS countries through information sharing on clandestine drug laboratories and emerging synthetic drug trends, enhanced monitoring of precursor chemicals and pharmaceutical substances, intelligence exchange, sharing of best practices, joint training programmes and expert exchanges.
Delegates from member countries will review the drug situation in their respective jurisdictions and participate in six thematic sessions addressing key global challenges. These include leveraging digital technologies for real-time drug interdiction, countering drug trafficking through the darknet, tackling emerging New Psychoactive Substances, strengthening global supply chains against precursor diversion and chemical leakage, promoting initiatives for drug demand reduction, and reinforcing institutional mechanisms for sustained cooperation.
The meeting is expected to conclude with the adoption of a Joint Declaration outlining areas of future cooperation among BRICS member states.
India’s BRICS Chairmanship in 2026 is guided by the theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."
The expanded BRICS grouping comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Collectively representing major emerging economies, the bloc serves as an important platform for consultation and cooperation on global political, economic and security issues, including efforts to combat transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.