Golden Crescent

India is prone to drug and narcotics trafficking due as it is quite close to the Golden Triangle as well as Golden Crescent. The flow of drugs and other illegal substances from two north-western and northern fronts compromises national security, which is currently the country's top issue.

India is prone to drug trafficking since it is located between the Golden Triangle and the Golden Crescent. Seizures of amphetamine-type stimulants, the majority of which are presumed to be methamphetamine, have previously increased significantly in India.

What is the Golden Crescent?

This area of South Asia is a major global opium-producing and distribution centre.

Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan are all part of it. Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat are the Indian states affected by the zone. Because of their proximity to the Indo-Pak border, these states have become potential Hashish and heroin markets and supply chain catalysts.

History of Golden Crescent

The Golden Crescent is substantially older than the Southeast Asian version. Unlike the Golden Triangle, which began producing opium in the 1980s, the Golden Crescent has been doing it since the 1950s.

Opium output in the Golden Crescent plummeted during Operation Enduring Freedom, the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in retaliation for the 9/11 attacks. In 2001, opium production was down by nearly 90%.

However, because of the political instability in Afghanistan, opium production resumed after 2002. The Golden Crescent produced over 8000 tonnes of the world's total 9000 tonnes of opium in 2007, practically giving it a monopoly.

Despite international efforts to combat the illegal drug trade, only 23.5 per cent of all items supplied globally are confiscated. The majority of the seized goods, around 97 per cent, are created in the Middle East. Although Afghanistan is the Golden Crescent's leading producer of opiates and heroin, most seizures are made in Iran, Afghanistan's western neighbour.

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Golden Crescent - Significance of Thar Dessert

• It used to be an opium supply route from Malwa to Karachi in the 1980s, and it was also a traditional route during the Chinese Colonial Era.
• The desert is a large, arid area that is inadequately patrolled and has a low level of security.
• After the Iran-Iraq war, the supply line was forced to reroute from India due to the closure of the Balkan passage through Iran.
• In the 1980s, Sikh militancy exacerbated drug trafficking in India's Punjab area.

Golden Crescent - Narcotics

According to the World Health Organization, Narcotics substances are any substance that alters the consumer's perception, behaviour, cognition, mood, or motor function. More than 35 million individuals worldwide are estimated to suffer from drug addiction, and illicit drug trafficking is becoming a problem, especially in India.

We have taken a look at the Golden Crescent and how it works.

A full review of the military and government is required at the border. Relationships between the centre and the states must improve, and both parties must work together to address the problem. In the coming years, methods to combat illegal drug trafficking could be institutionalised.

People must be aware of the benefits and drawbacks of consuming drugs or participating in the drug supply industry.

FAQs on Golden Crescent

Q1. How are the drugs trafficked to Russia vis-a-vis the Golden Crescent?

The Golden Crescent uses the Northern Route to traffic drugs to Russia. It is transported through Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Q2. Which route apart from the Golden Crescent is the most preferred route by drug mafias trafficking drugs to South East Asia?

Drug peddlers prefer selling drugs through the Indian Ocean apart from the Golden Crescent as there is a massive expanse of water and almost zero patrolling.

Q3. How much drug does Punjab consume through the Golden Crescent?

Punjab consumes drugs worth Rs. 75,000 Crores every year through the Golden Crescent.

Q4. Is Golden Triangle different from Golden Crescent?

One of Asia's two primary areas of illicit opium production is known as the Golden Crescent. Southeast Asia is home to the Golden Triangle. It's the country's second-largest illegal drug corridor.