Dr. Imran Ali Sandano is an Assistant Professor in the Department of International Relations at the University of Sindh, Pakistan. He is the author of books such as Sufism and Peace: A Counter Strategy of Extremism. Dr. Sandano holds a PhD in Non-Traditional Security Management from Zhejiang University and is currently a visiting scholar in the Department of International Relations at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. His research interests include non-traditional security issues, human security, peace and conflict resolution, diplomacy, and Sufism. Dr. Sandano has published articles in numerous research journals and is a freelance columnist for various newspapers both within Pakistan and internationally.
The global drug trafficking is now one of the most pervasive threats to international security and governance, affecting almost every point of the world. Drug trafficking is a multibillion dollar business that undermines the rule of law, destabilizes economies, and corrupts governments.
Drug cartels are not only providing illicit substances but are fueling violence, funding terrorism, and destabilizing states. The drug trade touches on more than just drug users, and it’s a complex problem that transcends most borders, affecting security and governance.
Drug production and trafficking are now of enormous importance in regions such as South America, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, at a point when entire regions and even whole governments are being influenced by it. Drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, and synthetic opioids, cartels, and criminal organizations have mastered the art of avoiding law enforcement when they flow across borders in staggering quantities.
Advancements in technology and public transportation have made drug trafficking more efficient, and less detectable. Encrypted communication, complex logistics, and bribery are being used by the modern traffickers to maintain their operations and those already under investigation who have eluded authorities.
Most of these organizations have economic power far above the small governments, and they can get into state structures and corrupt officials. But this influence begins a vicious cycle in which drug trade profits lead to ever more sophisticated criminal enterprises that make it more difficult for law enforcement to control.
The main impact of the drug trade is on the violence. Wherever there is a large drug trafficking operation, fighting wars over control of lucrative routes and markets has been a competition between rival cartels. It bleeds over onto law enforcement officials, journalists, and innocent civilians, so it is an environment of fear and distrust.
This violence has not only an impact on drug producing or transit countries alone. In the consumer nations, urban centers see upticks in gang activity and violence and the increase in drug related crime.
For example, the United States has been hit hardest by the opioid crisis; synthetic opioids like fentanyl are accounting for an unprecedented number of overdose deaths. As a consequence, the drug business produces security threats that affect the area as well as the rest of the world.
The trade in drugs does not stop with violence, but it undermines governance. Drug cartels and criminal organizations exercise enormous power over politics and law enforcement in many countries and over their judicial systems.
The drug trade has become a breeding ground for corruption as criminals bribe officials to avoid being caught. If it occurs where the state authority is weak, this can also erode trust in the government institutions and lead to the notion of lawlessness.
A positive example of this is Colombia, where the drug trade is a long-standing presence in the nation’s history of conflict. It is true that the government has made considerable efforts in waging war on the cartels, yet these remnants of organizations still function, either by themselves or as partners with insurgent entities such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Drug trafficking backed up rebel groups for years, enabling them to fight the government to fund their campaigns. The mutual interpenetration of conflict and the drug trade has rendered Colombia's efforts to purchase peace and stability all but impossible.
Drug profits also become used to fund terror groups in parts of Asia and the Middle East, adding to the problems of governance. In the world's leading producer of opium, Afghanistan, drug production has financed insurgents, such as the Taliban. Opium poppy cultivation brings in substantial profits for these groups, and the money generated ultimately gives them too much leverage for governments to take control.
It then becomes more of a compound problem because the fighting against extremism is no longer just a criminal justice issue because now you have to see the link between drug trafficking and terrorism as an element of national security because you know, because you´ve had the conversation: drug control is no longer a criminal justice issue; it’s actually a critical element of national security.
Since the drug trade involves such an international character, no country can alone curb the problem. Coordination across countries is often weak; however, international cooperation is essential in order to weaken conflicting political interests. Instead, countries may become too preoccupied with sealing their own borders, creating policies that are disjointed.
Governments should redouble their efforts in strengthening institutions and reducing corruption. Accountability, transparency, and effective law enforcement are crucial to fighting the capacity of criminal organizations to influence people, businesses, and parties. Dissecting these networks will require international collaboration, including the sharing of intelligence, tracking finances, and providing legal support.
The global drug trade is a formidable threat to the security, governance, and social fabric of countries throughout the world. The effects of the drug trade are pervasive and profound: the drug trade fuels violence and corruption, disrespects state institutions, and puts public health at risk. This issue will require a sustained commitment to cooperation, policy innovation, and an emphasis on the economic and social drivers of the trade. Without concerted effort, the drug trade will remain a force against peace, security, and development in an integrated world.
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