New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- India's Coastal states are emerging as key hotspots for the smuggling of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals, according to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)'s Annual Report 2024.

The report highlights that trafficking networks are increasingly exploiting maritime routes through Mumbai, Gujarat, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, leading to a surge in seizures and arrests over the past five years.

The report reveals that maritime routes are increasingly being used by drug cartels due to relatively weaker surveillance compared to land borders. The quantity of drugs seized in maritime smuggling cases has risen nearly 500-fold since 2019.

In 2024 alone, the report reads, maritime enforcement agencies confiscated 10,564 kil...