RRU and NCB Forge Strategic Alliance to Combat Drug Trafficking

The NCB and RRU have signed a MoU to boost cooperation on narcotics control and cybercrime. The partnership involves research, training, and technological development, focusing on areas like darknet narcotics markets and cryptocurrency tracing. This collaboration aims to integrate academic expertise with field enforcement, strengthening drug trafficking countermeasures.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) have officially joined forces, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to intensify efforts in research, training, and technological advances in narcotics control, according to a press release. Anurag Garg, Director General of NCB, and Prof. (Dr.) Bimal N. Patel, Vice Chancellor of RRU, signed the MoU at a New Delhi event.

Under this agreement, the two entities will focus on collaboration in areas such as darknet narcotics markets and cryptocurrency tracing. Specialized training programs for NCB officers in cyber and blockchain forensics, as well as behavioral profiling, are also on the agenda. Plans to establish a Centre of Excellence in Cybercrime Investigation and Drug Intelligence (CoE-CIDI) highlight the commitment to innovation.

Anurag Garg emphasized the partnership's potential to enhance enforcement through a knowledge-driven ecosystem, leveraging RRU's academic insights and NCB's on-ground experience, while addressing the challenges of illicit opium and cannabis cultivation and synthetic drug threats. Prof. (Dr.) Patel affirmed RRU's dedication to bolstering national security via advanced research and collaborative initiatives.

(With inputs from agencies.)