Telegram key platform for drug ads, Myanmar route a concern: NCB

The NCB Annual Report-2025 identifies a trafficking corridor from Myanmar into India’s North-East as a major security concern, linking the drug trade not only to addiction and organised crime but also to arms smuggling and the financing of militant groups

The Narcotics Control Bureau’s Annual Report 2025 warned that encrypted messaging apps such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and Signal have become channels for drug trafficking. (Image generated using AI)

Written by: Mahender Singh Manral

3 min readNew DelhiJun 27, 2026 03:49 AM IST First published on: Jun 26, 2026 at 05:39 PM IST

Encrypted messaging platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal have become major channels for drug trafficking worldwide, including in India. Of these three, Telegram has emerged as a key platform for drug-related advertising, according to the Narcotics Control Bureau’s Annual Report 2025 released Friday.

According to the report, released by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Telegram has become a prominent drug advertising platform, with public channels offering product listings, pricing and delivery details to large subscriber bases.

“Unlike darknet markets, which require specialised access, these platforms are widely accessible via smartphones, lowering entry barriers and enabling broader reach… Enforcement on these platforms is challenging because of jurisdictional issues in securing platform cooperation, the ephemeral nature of content, including auto-deletion of messages, and the use of multiple accounts, layered communication methods, and cryptocurrency payments by vendors to maintain anonymity,” the report said.

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Earlier this month, the Centre temporarily restricted Telegram in India ahead of the June 21 NEET-UG retest on the grounds that it was being used by “cheating rackets”. While access to the app was restricted until June 22, its message-editing feature was disabled until June 30.

The report by the apex drug law enforcement agency also flagged a trafficking corridor from Myanmar into India’s Northeast as a major security concern, warning that the drug trade in the region is linked to arms smuggling and financing of terror groups.

“Myanmar has now overtaken Afghanistan as the leading source of illicit opium,” the report said, “with the change driven by the after-effects of the Taliban’s ban on poppy cultivation and the continued expansion of cultivation in Myanmar amid conflict and economic breakdown.”

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“The porous border (between India and Myanmar) and Free Movement Regime facilitate trafficking, exacerbate local addiction, and fund insurgent groups,” the report said.

The report also pointed out that India is facing mounting pressure from a rapidly changing global narcotics landscape, marked by the rise of ultra-potent synthetic opioids and a record cocaine output.

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The report flagged two emerging threats that require urgent attention: the spread of nitazenes, a class of synthetic opioids said to be 500 times more potent than heroin, and the increasing link between drug trafficking and organised violence across transit economies.

“Drug law enforcement agencies across the country registered an all-time high of over 1.48 lakh cases and effected seizures of more than 1,200 tonnes of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. The scale and diversity of seizures, ranging from plant-based drugs to synthetic substances, pharmaceutical diversions and precursor chemicals, underscore the evolving and complex nature of the threat,” NCB Director Anurag Garg said in the report.

Mahender Singh Manral

Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. He is k... Read More