Trump welcomes PM Modi's efforts against opium as India among US' list of ‘major illicit drug producing countries’

United States President Donald Trump welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts against opium cultivation as India was among the US' list of “major illicit drug producing countries” on Wednesday. Along with India, Pakistan and China are also among the countries that the US has deemed as “major drug transit or major illicit drug producing” nations.

The US listed a total of 23 countries in the list, which includes, apart from the aforementioned three countries — Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

However, the US clarified that mere inclusion in the list was not a reflection of the respective government's efforts against drugs. It said that the countries have been placed on the list “due to a combination of geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs or precursor chemicals to transit or be produced, even if a government has engaged in robust and diligent narcotics control and law enforcement measures”.

The statement said that four countries — Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, and Colombia — have “failed demonstrably” over the past one year to make substantial efforts to “adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotics agreements” and to take necessary counternarcotics measures.

Trump also claimed his administration had made “historic progress” in combating drug trafficking and narcoterrorist organisations, citing tighter border security, a decline in drug seizures and a drop in overdose deaths.

He said drug seizures at the US southern border had fallen by more than half following what he described as four years of “open border chaos”. He also claimed that drug overdose deaths had “plunged”, saying his administration had saved tens of thousands of American lives.

“The narcoterrorists responsible for this invasion are either dead, in jail, or living in fear knowing they will be next to face American justice,” Trump said. He further claimed that US law enforcement agencies had recorded “record drug seizures” and that allied countries were extraditing more cartel leaders to the US than ever before.

“We have inflicted unprecedented losses on our enemies, and we are just getting started,” Trump said. Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times.

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