The first Director General-level talks between Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of India and Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) of Sri Lanka were held at New Delhi recently. Both sides shared the concern over growing menace of narcotic drugs and latest trends in narcotics smuggling in Indo-Sri Lankan sector.

The two sides also agreed to continue sharing of actionable intelligence and adopt a coordinated strategy to prevent drug trafficking between both the countries. In the present scenario of drug trafficking and in order to improve sharing of intelligence, assistance in investigations and prosecutions and targeting drug trafficking between the two countries in particular and the region in general was also agreed.

The India delegation was led by Vijay Kumar, Deputy Director General of NCB while the Sri Lankan delegation was headed by Pujith Jayasundara, Senior DIG/Northern Province, Sri Lanka.

The charter of the NCB includes implementation of the obligations under the various international conventions to which India is a signatory. The charter also provides to render assistance to the concerned authorities in foreign countries and concerned international organisations with a view to facilitating coordination and universal action for prevention and suppression of illicit traffic in narcotics drugs and psychotropic substances.