New Delhi: In a significant step towards strengthening global cooperation against drug trafficking, the 8th BRICS Anti-Drug Working Group Meeting was held virtually on June 15, 2026, under India’s current BRICS Presidency.
The meeting brought together senior delegates from all BRICS member nations, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa and the UAE, to address the growing challenges posed by illicit drugs.
During the deliberations, representatives exchanged comprehensive national drug situation reports and engaged in detailed discussions on emerging drug threats, evolving trafficking trends, operational challenges faced by enforcement agencies and successful best practices in drug control, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said.
The participants emphasised the need for a unified approach to combat the menace of narcotics, which continues to threaten public health and regional security across member countries.
The meeting highlighted the shared commitment of BRICS nations to enhance international cooperation, improve real-time information exchange, build institutional capacities and launch coordinated operations aimed at curbing illicit drug trafficking and reducing drug abuse.
Officials described the virtual gathering as a productive platform that fostered greater understanding and alignment among the partner nations on critical counter-narcotics strategies.
The Working Group meeting also served as an important precursor to the high-level meeting of BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies, scheduled to be held in Guwahati, India, on July 6 and 7, 2026, the NCB said in a post on its official X handle. This upcoming in-person summit is expected to build upon the outcomes of the working group discussions and result in concrete action points for deeper collaboration, it added.
India’s leadership of the BRICS Anti-Drug Working Group reflects the country’s proactive stance in the global fight against narcotics.
The NCB, which coordinated India’s participation, reiterated that such multilateral platforms are vital in tackling transnational drug syndicates that operate across borders using advanced networks and technology.
As drug trafficking routes continue to evolve and new psychoactive substances emerge, BRICS nations are increasingly focusing on intelligence sharing and joint capacity-building initiatives.
The successful conclusion of the 8th Working Group Meeting is expected to pave the way for more robust, results-oriented cooperation in the coming months.
The Guwahati meeting in July will be closely watched as it aims to translate these discussions into actionable strategies, further reinforcing BRICS’ role as a key forum for addressing transnational security challenges.
(IANS)
