Golden Crescent: The Hub of Narcoterrorism and Threat to Regional Security

Drug trafficking has emerged as a profitable and lucrative business, and is often a means for terror financing. The United Nations Security Council recognises the interlinkages between terrorism and related criminal activities such as narcotic trafficking, and comprehends the necessity to prevent these chains of events.

Illustration by The Geostrata

It has become a major source of finance for terrorist activities across the globe. This article will examine the significance of the Golden Crescent in narcotics terrorism and its threat to regional security in the Western Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

GOLDEN CRESCENT AND REGIONAL STABILITY

Critical zones such as the Golden Crescent is an opium hub, and highly unstable due to terror activities. Drug production as well as trafficking have enormously influenced the politics, economics, and security landscape prominently in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The western flank of the IOR witnesses greater risks of non-traditional security challenges due to the existence of several under-developed and developing nations which persistently face political and socio-economic issues. This region is tangled in complexities due to political instability, such as in Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, etc., and economic challenges.

Additionally, there are demographic issues with regard to ethnic and sectarian tensions. Due to internal instability, the region overall faces the repercussions of non-traditional security challenges that are often an influence of internal disturbances or civil conflicts. Post 9/11 attacks, terrorist organisations were forced to implement new approaches to fuel their finances. Therefore, the illicit drug trade became a source of income for groups like Al Qaeda and its affiliated organisations. 

It was lucrative since Afghanistan is situated at the centre of the opium hub, which is the Golden Crescent. Three routes near this junction are used to traffic opium across continents. These routes are the Balkan route, the northern route, and the southern route. The former two are land routes, whereas the latter is a sea route. The southern route has attracted huge attention due to its centrality in IOR and accessibility to the tri-junction of three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. Two branches bifurcate to western and eastern parts.

The trafficked substance from the eastern branch moves to India, Sri Lanka, and further to Southeast Asia. Whereas, the western branch tranships illicit substances to the coast of East Africa and Yemen.

These branches divide into small routes to reach their transhipment points as well as their final destination. For example, Seychelles is a prominent transit point as well as an end point. The passage provides safe navigation to smuggle illicit substances through small boats called “dhows.” The problematic issue is that the narcotics supply chain is not a lone issue. The finance earned in this business is diverted to execute several other malicious activities such as terror-financing, arms smuggling, etc. This is ultimately one of the biggest threats to the national security of countries around the rim, especially India. 

NARCOTERRORISM AND ITS MENACE

Drug trafficking in itself is a multibillion-dollar business and one of the largest contributors of revenue to organised criminal networks. A substantial part of this finance is funnelled to terrorist groups to fund their activities and operational costs. Over the past decades, Pakistani organised criminal syndicates, which are spread across Asia, Africa and Europe, have created transcontinental networks of drug cartels. 

Drugs such as opium, which is largely produced in the Golden Crescent region, are trafficked in the form of their other derivatives like heroin and morphine. Between synthetic and plant-based drugs, the latter is more profitable since it is grown only in limited regions and therefore, its manufacturing doesn’t have the scope to be placed elsewhere. Therefore, geography plays an important role in determining the trade route of any specific product. Out of the three plant-based drugs, i.e. cocaine, opiates, and cannabis, opiates, which include heroin and morphine, are most trafficked, and Afghanistan is the primary location of origin. Since the past few decades, there is an inevitable presence of narco-terrorism in Pakistan. 

General Zia-ul-Haq during his military tenure encouraged the cultivation of poppy from which opium is derived. This cultivation of narcotic substances contributed to drug trafficking and subsequently terrorism, hence threatening India’s security landscape. Terror groups like ISIS, Taliban and allied organisations have a considerable role to play in poppy cultivation and its trafficking across continents. Taking the example of the Taliban, it has generated massive revenue by levying taxes and poppy sales. Due to political and economic instability since 1979, the local farmers have lost a major part of their livelihood, and therefore, poppy cultivation provides a guarantee of some profit than other agricultural produce.

The former British Prime Minister Tony Blair once stated, “The Taliban are buying today are paid for by the lives of young British people buying drugs.” This evidently highlights the use of revenue generated by narcotics trafficking to purchase arms and ammunition.

Narcotics trafficking instrumented by terrorist organisations based around the Golden Crescent poses a significant threat to the regional security of the IOR. Therefore, strengthening regional cooperation between the nations in the rim of the Indian Ocean is a crucial and necessary step. Together, these nations can cooperate through intelligence sharing, joining maritime exercises and construct a legal framework to address this maritime menace. Additionally, the root cause of these criminal activities must be tackled effectively, as this region faces immense political and socio-economic problems.

A collective commitment through institutions like the Indian Ocean Rim Association, Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, etc, can bolster stability and growth in the region. 

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BY ARYA GHADIGAONKAR

TEAM GEOSTRATA

info@thegeostrata.com