Sri Vijayapuram, 25 April : A fishing trawler drifting off the volcanic Barren Islands in the Andaman Sea did not arouse immediate suspicion. But on November 25th last year, acting on a tip-off, the Indian Coast Guard intercepted the vessel. What they found on board has since prompted one of the biggest narcotics investigations in Indian maritime history: over six tonnes of methamphetamine packed in concealed compartments, crewed by six men from Myanmar.
The men—Kyan Lin Khing, Zay Yar Soe, Moe Zar Oo, Htet Myat Aung, Zin Min Soe, and Khin Mg Kyi—were arrested and are now in judicial custody in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The drugs, with a potential street value of hundreds of millions of dollars, appear to have originated in Myanmar and were likely en route to Thailand or Malaysia. The Indian authorities believe the crew were merely couriers, operating at the behest of a wider criminal syndicate based in Yangon.
This seizure is not just notable for its size—at 6,016 kilograms, it is among the largest methamphetamine hauls in Indian history—but also for what it reveals about the changing nature of the global drug trade. Methamphetamine, once overshadowed by heroin and cocaine, has become the synthetic drug of choice for criminal networks across Southeast Asia. It is cheap to produce, easy to transport, and dangerously addictive.
The Golden Triangle’s Synthetic Shift
Behind this shift lies the Golden Triangle, a rugged region where Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos meet. Once known primarily for heroin production, it has become the epicentre of the region’s methamphetamine boom. For years, international observers have warned that Myanmar’s political instability, especially following the military coup in 2021, would accelerate this transformation. They were right. In 2023, Myanmar overtook Afghanistan to become the world’s largest producer of opium, and its industrial-scale meth production is growing even faster.
The collapse of legitimate economic avenues in Myanmar has contributed to this surge. Many remote regions, particularly those controlled by militias, have turned to synthetic drugs as a reliable source of income. Production facilities now operate with industrial precision, churning out meth in quantities that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. Traffickers are increasingly moving their product by sea, making use of fishing boats, unregistered cargo ships, and isolated islands to avoid detection.
The Andaman case marks the clearest evidence yet that Indian waters are now being used to move these drugs across Asia. The meth was likely intended for international markets, with India serving as a convenient transit point. Smugglers are now choosing maritime routes to bypass increasingly secure land borders and checkpoints. The isolated nature of India’s vast coastline, particularly around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, offers ideal conditions for covert operations.
India’s New Challenge at Sea
In response to the seizure, Indian authorities formed a Special Investigation Team involving senior officers from various units of the Andaman & Nicobar Police, working under the supervision of the Director General of Police. The investigation lasted months and involved forensic analysis of satellite phones and GPS systems seized from the vessel. The final chargesheet runs over 2,000 pages and lays out in detail the route of the smuggling operation and its links to earlier drug movements, including a consignment reportedly shipped to Malaysia in August 2024.
India’s success in intercepting the boat and arresting the crew is commendable. But it also serves as a warning. The country’s extensive coastline and growing role in regional trade make it an increasingly attractive route for international traffickers. If methamphetamine is the future of the narcotics trade in Asia, India must brace for more such attempts.
Some observers have raised questions about how close this consignment came to reaching its destination. Had it slipped past the patrol, the drugs may have entered international circulation undetected. The interception, while effective, owed much to good fortune and timely intelligence. It underlines the need for a more permanent maritime surveillance strategy—one that combines technology, local knowledge, and cross-border cooperation.
India’s coastal security has come a long way since the Mumbai attacks in 2008, but vulnerabilities remain—particularly in the more remote island territories. Drug cartels are agile and opportunistic, constantly probing for weaknesses. Combating them will require not just vigilance, but also coordination with neighbouring countries and global enforcement agencies.
For now, the six Myanmarese men sit in a jail cell in Port Blair, awaiting trial under India’s stringent narcotics laws. Their fate is almost certainly sealed. But the network they represent remains active—and as long as demand exists, supply will follow.
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