Illegal drug trade in the Indian Ocean region information
Drug smuggling is an issue that is gaining international attention, particularly in the Indian Ocean region. The Indian Ocean borders 24 states, and accounts for a third of the world’s ocean area.[1] Previously, other challenges, such as Somali piracy, have been at the forefront of international action. However, the utilisation of the Southern route by drug traffickers, and the consequent issues this has caused, has led to increased focus on how to tackle this issue.[2]
The Southern Route is becoming increasingly utilised due to a variety of factors. Afghanistan has seen increased poppy yields in recent years, which has led to a greater supply of opioids.[3] The corruption and lack of inspection that is rife in East African and Southeast Asian ports, has made them increasingly appealing as trans-shipment destinations.[3] The Southern Route has also become more attractive due to the disruption along traditional land routes, such as the Northern and Balkan routes, due to wars throughout these countries and an increased law enforcement presence.[4] The combination of these elements has encouraged the affected countries to take action against drug traffickers throughout the Indian Ocean.
The international nature of the high seas, means they have limited policing capabilities, which makes the oceans particularly vulnerable to the illicit drug trade.[3] Excluding the 12 - 24 nautical miles surrounding each of the littoral states, the oceans are generally not owned by any particular country.[3] Except for in their territorial waters, law enforcement ships can do very little in terms of policing unless a vessel is registered to their own country.[5] These problems are heightened by a lack of international agreement and cooperation, resulting in an absence of sufficient legal infrastructure to handle the problem. This problem has been overcome previously, as laws have been implemented to enable the boarding of ships in relation to other maritime crimes, such as piracy, but this has not yet been effectively implemented in regards to drug smuggling.[6] In practice, this has meant that vessels suspected of trafficking these illegal substances cannot be boarded by law enforcement, and thus face no legal consequences. Traffickers have taken advantage of this, and are increasingly capitalising on illicit trade through maritime routes.[7] Of the 400 million containers shipped worldwide in 2009, only 2% of these were inspected.[7]
^"Global Maritime Crime Programme: Indian Ocean". United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. UNODC. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
^"West and Central Asia". United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. UNODC. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
^ abcdMcLaughlin p. 25.
^McLaughlin
^McLaughlin p. 26.
^McLaughlin p. 28.
^ abThe Global Afghan Opium Trade: A Threat Assessment (PDF) (Report). UNODC. 2011. p. 13. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
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