Small fish: On Operation Trident

While carriers of narcotics are caught in the net, big sharks operate freely

Operation Trident, a multi-agency crackdown (कड़ी कार्रवाई) on an international syndicate (गिरोह, संगठित समूह) operating across (के आर-पार, पूरे क्षेत्र में) the India-Myanmar-Bangladesh corridor (गलियारा, मार्ग), marks a significant step-up in the government’s campaign against drug trafficking. The Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, has set December 31, 2029, as the deadline to eradicate (उन्मूलन करना) drug networks across the country. The October 23 raids (छापा), which led to 18 people being arrested, were based on NCB investigations following (के बाद, के परिणामस्वरूप) the arrest of an alleged (कथित) Myanmar-based kingpin (सरगना, मुख्य संचालक) in Delhi this May. However (हालाँकि, फिर भी), the dismantling (the process of taking something apart or breaking up an organization/system; taking down, breaking up, disbanding, destroying) of the entire network would require identification (पहचान) of all suppliers in Myanmar and their successful prosecution (अभियोजन). The government’s strategy (a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim; plan, policy, approach, scheme), involving States and Union Territories, over 40 Ministries, central agencies and the pharmaceutical (relating to medicinal drugs, or their preparation, use, or sale; medical, medicinal, drug-related) sector, is outlined (to give a summary of something or describe it in a general way; summarize, detail, delineate) in the Vision Document on Drug Control (2026-2029) (a national three-year roadmap released by the Government of India in June 2026 to combat illicit drug trafficking and drug abuse, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and dismantle drug-trafficking networks), launched (start, initiate, introduce, roll out) by Mr. Shah at the Narco-Coordination Centre (a Government of India coordination mechanism constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs in November 2016 and restructured in 2019 and 2022 to improve coordination among Central and State drug-law-enforcement agencies and other stakeholders in combating drug trafficking and drug abuse) meeting on June 26, 2026. It envisages (foresee, predict, forecast, anticipate) dismantling 100 major cartels (an association of manufacturers, suppliers, or criminals with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition or carrying out illegal activities; syndicate, ring, consortium, gang) and improving prosecution outcomes. The broad strategy reflects the complexity of the problem and signals a more focused approach. Data for 2025 also show an increase of over (more than, above) 50% in arrests and a nearly (almost, practically, virtually, approximately) 53% rise in cases registered under (controlled, governed, or bound by a particular law, rule, or agreement; in accordance with, subject to, governed by, bound by) the Narcotic (an illegal drug that affects mood or behaviour and is sold for nonmedical purposes; drug, opiate, illicit substance, dope) Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act compared with 2024.

However, the government’s action-plan will depend on (rely on, rest on, hinge on, revolve around) consistent (steady, stable, continuous, uniform) implementation (execution, application, carrying out, enforcement) and efficient (effective, productive, well organized, streamlined) coordination among (between, with, in the midst of, amidst) agencies, and striking at the real brains behind it all. In several cases, foreign-based key operatives still remain at large (escaping or not yet captured, especially referring to a criminal; free, on the run, on the loose, unapprehended) and big sharks (a powerful, influential, or important person, especially one who exploits others or operates illicitly; kingpin, mastermind, boss, heavyweight) often (frequently, regularly, repeatedly, habitually, routinely) do not fall in the net. The 2021 Mundra port case (a major drug seizure case involving the confiscation of approximately 3,000 kg of heroin at the Mundra port in Gujarat, India, in September 2021) in Gujarat, involving the seizure (the action of capturing someone or something using force or legal authority; confiscation, impounding, capture, appropriation) of about 3,000 kg of heroin (a highly addictive analgesic drug derived from morphine, often used illicitly as a narcotic producing euphoria; dope, smack, opiate, narcotic), is a case in point (example, instance, illustration, exemplar) wherein (in which, where, in what, during which) the principal Afghanistan-based suppliers have yet to (used to say that something has not happened or been done up to the present time; not yet, still to) be brought to book. Also, the quantity of drugs seized (to take hold of suddenly and forcibly, especially by legal authority; confiscate, impound, appropriate, snatch) does not, by itself (independently, on its own, autonomously, alone), indicate whether drug availability or consumption (use, utilizing, ingestion, intake) has declined. Punjab remains a prominent (important, well known, notable, outstanding) example of the continuing public health (the health of the population as a whole, especially as monitored, regulated, and promoted by the state; community health, societal health, population well-being) challenges associated with (linked to, connected to, related to, correlated with) drug abuse (the habitual taking of addictive or illegal drugs; substance abuse, addiction, drug dependency). The alleged drug-related killings of anti-drug activists (a person who campaigns aggressively against the illegal drug trade or drug abuse; campaigner, advocate) in Mansa and Gurdaspur, along with (together with, accompanied by, besides, coupled with) the alleged death by suicide of a father in Sangrur who had raised concerns about the easy availability of synthetic drugs (a chemical substance produced artificially in a laboratory rather than being derived from natural sources, often used illicitly; designer drug, artificial substance, chemical drug, synthetic substance) in his locality, underscore the human cost of the problem. These incidents also raise questions about the protection of those who speak out (to express one’s opinions frankly and publicly, often in opposition to something; speak one’s mind, sound off, stand up, express oneself) against drug trafficking and networks. These concerns lend urgency (to make a situation or objective seem more important and requiring immediate attention; make pressing, increase importance, emphasize the need, accelerate) to the objective (aim, goal, target, purpose) of dismantling entire networks and apprehending (to arrest someone for a crime; arrest, catch, capture, detain) the “big sharks”, rather than (instead of, in place of, as opposed to, more than) concentrating disproportionately (excessively, unequally, excessively, inordinately) on individual carriers. The key (the crucial or most important element or factor in achieving a desired result; secret, answer, solution, core) is to identify the ultimate beneficiaries by meticulously (carefully, thoroughly, rigorously, painstakingly) following the money trail (a series of financial transactions that can be investigated to reveal illegal activities or the source of funds; financial record, transaction history) and ensuring their conviction (a formal declaration by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge in a court of law that someone is guilty of a criminal offence; judgment, sentence, guilty verdict).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.catch in the net (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - जाल में फँसाना, पकड़ लेना
English Meaning - to trap, capture, or apprehend someone, often unexpectedly; trap, capture, ensnare, nab.

2.crackdown (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कड़ी कार्रवाई
English Meaning - severe measures to restrict or discourage undesirable or illegal people or behaviour; clampdown, suppression, repression, quelling.

3.syndicate (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गिरोह, संगठित समूह
English Meaning - a group of individuals or organizations combined to promote a common interest, often associated with organized crime; cartel, ring, gang, organization.

4.across (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - के आर-पार, पूरे क्षेत्र में
English Meaning - traversing, spanning, throughout, extending over.

5.corridor (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गलियारा, मार्ग
English Meaning - a belt of land linking two other areas or following a specific route, often used for transport or smuggling; route, passage, pathway, channel.

6.eradicate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - उन्मूलन करना
English Meaning - to destroy completely or put an end to something; eliminate, wipe out, remove, root out.

7.raid (noun)

Hindi Meaning - छापा
English Meaning - a sudden surprise attack or search by authorities, such as the police; search, swoop, bust, invasion.

8.lead to (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - का कारण बनना, परिणामस्वरूप होना
English Meaning - result in, cause, bring about, give rise to.

9.Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) (proper noun)

Hindi Meaning - स्वापक नियंत्रण ब्यूरो
English Meaning - India’s national nodal agency for drug-law enforcement, established on 17 March 1986 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and functioning under the Ministry of Home Affairs to combat illicit drug trafficking and coordinate enforcement and intelligence activities.

10.following (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - के बाद, के परिणामस्वरूप
English Meaning - coming after or as a result of something; after, in the aftermath of, subsequent to, succeeding.

11.alleged (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कथित
English Meaning - supposed, claimed, purported, presumed.

12.kingpin (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सरगना, मुख्य संचालक
English Meaning - a person who controls an organization or activity, especially a criminal one; boss, mastermind, ringleader, chief.

13.however (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - हालाँकि, फिर भी
English Meaning - nevertheless, nonetheless, yet, conversely.

14.identification (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पहचान
English Meaning - the action or process of recognizing and naming someone or something; recognition, naming, pinpointing, detection.

15.prosecution (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अभियोजन
English Meaning - legal action, legal proceeding, trial, indictment.

16.dismantling (noun)

English Meaning - the process of taking something apart or breaking up an organization/system; taking down, breaking up, disbanding, destroying.

17.small fish (noun)

English Meaning - a person who is relatively unimportant or has little power, especially in comparison to others in a particular group or situation; minor figure, underling, nobody, subordinate.

18.carrier (noun)

English Meaning - a person who transports illegal drugs; transporter, mule, smuggler.

19.narcotic (noun)

English Meaning - an illegal drug that affects mood or behaviour and is sold for nonmedical purposes; drug, opiate, illicit substance, dope.

20.big shark (noun)

English Meaning - a powerful, influential, or important person, especially one who exploits others or operates illicitly; kingpin, mastermind, boss, heavyweight.

21.Operation Trident (proper noun)

English Meaning - a multi-agency anti-drug operation launched by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 23, 2026, across Assam, Mizoram, and Manipur to dismantle a transnational drug trafficking network operating across India, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

22.strategy (noun)

English Meaning - a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim; plan, policy, approach, scheme.

23.Central agency (noun)

English Meaning - a government organisation operating at the national level and responsible for specific administrative, investigative, regulatory or law-enforcement functions; examples include the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Enforcement Directorate (ED).

24.pharmaceutical (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to medicinal drugs, or their preparation, use, or sale; medical, medicinal, drug-related.

25.outline (verb)

English Meaning - to give a summary of something or describe it in a general way; summarize, detail, delineate.

26.Vision Document on Drug Control (2026–2029) (proper noun)

English Meaning - a national three-year roadmap released by the Government of India in June 2026 to combat illicit drug trafficking and drug abuse, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and dismantle drug-trafficking networks.

27.launch (verb)

English Meaning - start, initiate, introduce, roll out.

28.Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) (proper noun)

English Meaning - a Government of India coordination mechanism constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs in November 2016 and restructured in 2019 and 2022 to improve coordination among Central and State drug-law-enforcement agencies and other stakeholders in combating drug trafficking and drug abuse.

29.envisage (verb)

English Meaning - foresee, predict, forecast, anticipate.

30.cartel (noun)

English Meaning - an association of manufacturers, suppliers, or criminals with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition or carrying out illegal activities; syndicate, ring, consortium, gang.

31.over (preposition)

English Meaning - more than, above.

32.nearly (adverb)

English Meaning - almost, practically, virtually, approximately.

33.under (preposition)

English Meaning - controlled, governed, or bound by a particular law, rule, or agreement; in accordance with, subject to, governed by, bound by.

34.Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) (proper noun)

English Meaning - an Act of Parliament enacted to consolidate and amend laws relating to narcotic drugs and regulate operations involving narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, combat illicit trafficking, and implement relevant international conventions.

35.depend on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - rely on, rest on, hinge on, revolve around.

36.consistent (adjective)

English Meaning - steady, stable, continuous, uniform.

37.implementation (noun)

English Meaning - execution, application, carrying out, enforcement.

38.efficient (adjective)

English Meaning - effective, productive, well organized, streamlined.

39.among (preposition)

English Meaning - between, with, in the midst of, amidst.

40.agency (noun)

English Meaning - organization, bureau, department, office.

41.at large (phrase)

English Meaning - escaping or not yet captured, especially referring to a criminal; free, on the run, on the loose, unapprehended.

42.often (adverb)

English Meaning - frequently, regularly, repeatedly, habitually, routinely.

43.2021 Mundra port case (proper noun)

English Meaning - a major drug seizure case involving the confiscation of approximately 3,000 kg of heroin at the Mundra port in Gujarat, India, in September 2021.

44.seizure (noun)

English Meaning - the action of capturing someone or something using force or legal authority; confiscation, impounding, capture, appropriation.

45.heroin (noun)

English Meaning - a highly addictive analgesic drug derived from morphine, often used illicitly as a narcotic producing euphoria; dope, smack, opiate, narcotic.

46.case in point (phrase)

English Meaning - example, instance, illustration, exemplar.

47.wherein (adverb)

English Meaning - in which, where, in what, during which.

48.yet to (phrase)

English Meaning - used to say that something has not happened or been done up to the present time; not yet, still to.

49.bring to book (phrase)

English Meaning - to punish someone for an offense or make them explain their behaviour officially; punish, penalize, reprimand, hold accountable.

50.drug (noun)

English Meaning - an illegal substance that some people smoke, inject, etc. for the physical and mental effects it has; narcotic, controlled substance, opiate, illicit substance.

51.seize (verb)

English Meaning - to take hold of suddenly and forcibly, especially by legal authority; confiscate, impound, appropriate, snatch.

52.by itself (phrase)

English Meaning - independently, on its own, autonomously, alone.

53.consumption (noun)

English Meaning - use, utilizing, ingestion, intake.

54.prominent (adjective)

English Meaning - important, well known, notable, outstanding.

55.public health (noun)

English Meaning - the health of the population as a whole, especially as monitored, regulated, and promoted by the state; community health, societal health, population well-being.

56.associated with (phrase)

English Meaning - linked to, connected to, related to, correlated with.

57.drug abuse (noun)

English Meaning - the habitual taking of addictive or illegal drugs; substance abuse, addiction, drug dependency.

58.anti-drug activist (noun)

English Meaning - a person who campaigns aggressively against the illegal drug trade or drug abuse; campaigner, advocate.

59.along with (phrase)

English Meaning - together with, accompanied by, besides, coupled with.

60.synthetic drug (noun)

English Meaning - a chemical substance produced artificially in a laboratory rather than being derived from natural sources, often used illicitly; designer drug, artificial substance, chemical drug, synthetic substance.

61.speak out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to express one’s opinions frankly and publicly, often in opposition to something; speak one’s mind, sound off, stand up, express oneself.

62.lend urgency (phrase)

English Meaning - to make a situation or objective seem more important and requiring immediate attention; make pressing, increase importance, emphasize the need, accelerate.

63.objective (noun)

English Meaning - aim, goal, target, purpose.

64.apprehend (verb)

English Meaning - to arrest someone for a crime; arrest, catch, capture, detain.

65.rather than (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of, in place of, as opposed to, more than.

66.concentrate (verb)

English Meaning - focus, direct, centre, channel.

67.disproportionately (adverb)

English Meaning - excessively, unequally, excessively, inordinately.

68.key (noun)

English Meaning - the crucial or most important element or factor in achieving a desired result; secret, answer, solution, core.

69.ultimate beneficiary (noun)

English Meaning - the person or entity that ultimately receives the advantages or profits from an activity, especially an illicit network; end receiver, final recipient, ultimate profiteer, primary gainer.

70.meticulously (adverb)

English Meaning - carefully, thoroughly, rigorously, painstakingly.

71.money trail (noun)

English Meaning - a series of financial transactions that can be investigated to reveal illegal activities or the source of funds; financial record, transaction history.

72.conviction (noun)

English Meaning - a formal declaration by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge in a court of law that someone is guilty of a criminal offence; judgment, sentence, guilty verdict.