Telegram Now Key Hub For Drug Advertisements, Myanmar Route Adds To India's Security Worries: NCB

Last Updated:June 27, 2026, 09:30 IST

Myanmar has now replaced Afghanistan as the largest producer of illicit opium, according to the report.

India’s anti narcotics agency has flagged encrypted messaging applications as an increasingly important tool for drug traffickers, with Telegram emerging as one of the most commonly used platforms for marketing illegal substances.

The findings are part of the Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Annual Report 2025, released by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday. The report says traffickers are using Telegram channels to openly circulate information on available drugs, prices and delivery options to thousands of subscribers.

Easy Access, Difficult Enforcement

The NCB noted that Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal are being used extensively in the illegal drug trade because they are easily available on smartphones and do not require the specialised access needed to enter darknet marketplaces.

Investigators say tackling such networks remains complicated. Obtaining cooperation from platform operators often involves jurisdictional hurdles, while features such as disappearing messages make evidence collection difficult. Traffickers also rely on multiple accounts, layered communication systems and cryptocurrency transactions to hide their identities.

The report comes weeks after the Centre temporarily restricted Telegram in India ahead of the June 21 NEET UG retest, citing concerns that cheating syndicates were using the platform. Access to the app was restored on June 22, although its message editing feature will remain disabled until June 30.

Myanmar Corridor Under Watch

The NCB has also raised concerns over the growing flow of narcotics from Myanmar into India’s Northeast, describing it as more than just a drug trafficking issue.

According to the report, proceeds from the trade are helping finance insurgent organisations and are linked to the movement of illegal weapons across the region.

Myanmar has now replaced Afghanistan as the largest producer of illicit opium, the agency said. The shift has been attributed to the Taliban’s restrictions on poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and the continued expansion of opium farming in Myanmar amid political instability and economic distress.

Officials warned that the porous border shared by India and Myanmar, along with the Free Movement Regime, has made smuggling easier, contributed to rising substance abuse in border areas and strengthened militant groups.

Potent Synthetic Drugs Raise Alarm

The report further cautioned that India is facing a changing global drug landscape, marked by a surge in synthetic opioids and record cocaine production.

Among the substances drawing concern are nitazenes, synthetic opioids believed to be around 500 times stronger than heroin. The NCB also highlighted a growing connection between drug trafficking and organised violence in countries that serve as transit points for narcotics.

NCB Director Anurag Garg said enforcement agencies across India registered more than 1.48 lakh cases last year and seized over 1,200 tonnes of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

He said the variety of seizures, ranging from traditional plant based drugs to synthetic substances, diverted pharmaceuticals and precursor chemicals, reflects the increasingly complex nature of the threat.

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