India's tourism havens and Drug traffkiling hot spot

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New Delhi: India's popular tourism havens and drug traffkiling hot spot state like Goa, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan have emerged as the "hot spots" for cocaine, ecstasy and LSD besides other synthetic drugs. The NCB, which is the apex body for curbing narcotics trade in the country, says that drug cartels have well established networks spread over the years in the states. As per the NCB, while drugs like heroin, cocaine are brought into the country from outside, the Indian brand of hashish has achieved "quite notoriety" on the internet, fetching a very high price in Netherlands and Belgium. "Tourism hubs like Goa, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan receive large number of foreign tourists. Some places in these states have attained wide publicity on the internet being projected as 'hash destinations'....

"Apart from abuse of hashish at these places, other drugs like cocaine, ecstasy and LSD and other synthetic drugs are abused. These locations have become 'hot spots' because of the network established over the years and availability of accommodation and other facilities at cheaper rates," NCB says in its annual report for 2008. In 2008, a total of 4,084 kg of hashish was seized in the country with almost half (1,936 kg) from Uttar Pradesh.  The seizures of hashish in the states of UP and Bihar are sourced to Nepal whereas seizures in Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat are primarily sourced to Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.  There have been seizures of hashish oil in Kerala, a state from where it is trafficked to Middle East countries.  The NCB said trafficking of hashish from Nepal into India and its movement to different destinations in the country is mainly through roads. The contraband is generally concealed in specially-made cavities in commercial vehicles.