-41-
The only eradication effort known to the Embassy was the attempt in May 1987 by narcotics control officials to manually destroy illicit opium crops in Uttar Pradesh. According to newspaper reports, the attempt was aborted through political influence.
Statistics for narcotic seizures and arrests are not systematically maintained in India. The following is intelligence gleaned from newspaper articles and only reflects the significant seizures, during January-June 1987.
Heroin:
Bombay
262 kg
Indo/Pak Border Indore
1345 kg
200 kg
New Delhi
48 kg
Total:
Hashish:
Bombay
2775 kg
1333 kg
Delhi
123 kg
Total:
1456 kg
Mandrax
tablets: Bombay
335,000
Marijuana: Bombay
1363.5 kg
Indo/Nepal Border Delhi
700
kg
96
kg
Total:
2159.5 kg
NCB stated that, for the entire year of 1986, 9623 persons appeared in court for the first court hearing. However, NCB stated about 5 to 10 times that number were arrested. There are no statistics yet for 1987.
The first meeting of the Indo/Pakistani Committee to Combat Drug Trafficking and Smuggling was held in New Delhi in March 1987. The discussions were cordial, and initial steps were taken to exchange intelligence in order to join forces to fight the narcotics trafficking organizations that utilize both borders. Similar meetings are to take place alternately in the two Capitals at six-month intervals. The GOI reflected meeting was fruitful.
the