747 foreign nationals held in India in drug cases, most from Nepal: Report

Highest narcotics-related arrests in 5 years

India also saw a significant rise in narcotics-related enforcement in 2025, with the number of people arrested in anti-drug operations increasing sharply, according to the report. The report said 1,83,675 people were arrested in 2025, up from 1,22,224 in 2024. This was the highest figure recorded during the five years from 2021 to 2025. It also said that 810 detention orders were issued in 2025, a steep rise from 531 in 2024.

“At the same time, enforcement agencies reported major action against illicit cultivation. The area under poppy cultivation destroyed rose dramatically to 42,282 acres in 2025, nearly double the 22,512 acres eradicated in 2024. (Area under) cannabis cultivation destroyed also increased, reaching 38,193 acres, up from 34,018 acres a year earlier,” the report said.

According to the report, amphetamine-type stimulants accounted for nearly half of all synthetic drug seizures globally in 2023, with methamphetamine and amphetamine remaining the dominant substances.

The report also said methamphetamine production remained concentrated in hubs including Mexico, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Czechia, and the Netherlands, while trafficking patterns were expanding across Europe, Africa, and the Near and Middle East.

The report also pointed to uncertainty over the future of the Captagon trade following political changes in Syria, warning that production could shift geographically rather than disappear.