Washington: India and the United States are strengthening cooperation to track drug-trafficking networks and prevent chemicals used to manufacture synthetic narcotics from entering illegal supply chains, the White House said in a readout of bilateral talks.
Officials identified closer intelligence sharing, coordinated law enforcement operations and safeguards for pharmaceutical supply chains as priorities at the second India-US Drug Policy Executive Working Group meeting, held in New Delhi on November 2-3.
The statement, issued by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), said both governments also discussed emerging trafficking threats and measures to reduce drug demand.
India’s delegation was led by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Director General Anurag Garg. Debbie Seguin, acting deputy director of ONDCP, headed the American team.
Cooperation is “vital to disrupting transnational drug trafficking networks and preventing the diversion of synthetic drugs and chemical precursors into global markets,” said ONDCP Director Sara Carter.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said the two countries were moving beyond pledges to practical cooperation.
“India and the United States aren’t just talking about cooperation; we are delivering real operational results — choking off illicit precursor chemicals, securing commercial supply chains, and dismantling the cartels that exploit them,” he said.
Garg highlighted India’s Vision Roadmap 2026-2029, which emphasises investigations into entire criminal networks rather than individual drug seizures. It calls for targeting financiers, suppliers, facilitators and transport networks, alongside financial investigations, prevention and rehabilitation.
The delegations discussed Operation MedMax and Operation WIPE, two Indian enforcement initiatives, as well as a voluntary code of conduct intended to stop chemicals used to make synthetic drugs from being diverted from legitimate commerce.
Operation MedMax, carried out in July 2025 using intelligence jointly developed by the NCB and US Drug Enforcement Administration, uncovered a syndicate selling regulated medicines internationally.
According to the NCB, the syndicate operated across Asia, North America, Europe and Australia. The investigation began with the seizure of 3.7 kg of tramadol tablets in India. Investigators said the network used an online business-to-business platform, digital payments and international intermediaries to distribute drugs without legitimate documentation.
Operation WIPE, launched in April, targets online listings of drugs controlled under India’s narcotics law. The NCB said it identified 122 instances involving 62 substances, including fentanyl.
The operation monitors publicly accessible websites for offers of regulated drugs. The agency said it had also shared lists of controlled substances with platforms to help them identify and remove illegal listings.
The two sides agreed to exchange more best practices on targeted enforcement. The White House said sustained contact and timely intelligence exchanges would be important as traffickers adapted their methods.
The meeting followed the group’s inaugural session in Washington on January 20-21.
IANS
