Myanmar replaces Afghanistan as key opium source, impact seen on India’s eastern border: NCB
A new report from the Narcotics Control Bureau identifies Myanmar as a primary source of opium and methamphetamine following the Taliban's drug ban in Afghanistan. The report highlights that India's northeastern states are increasingly being used as transit hubs for drug trafficking due to porous borders.
Why it matters
The shift in global drug supply routes poses a significant national security and public health challenge for India's border states and internal stability.
Following the 2022 Taliban-imposed ban on drugs in Afghanistan, Myanmar has emerged as an alternative source of global opium supply and the consequences are already visible along India’s eastern borders, through the Manipur corridor, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said in its 2026 annual report.
The article summarizes official government findings and data without injecting subjective commentary.
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