India and the US have signed an Amended Letter of Agreement (ALOA) in the field of narcotics control and law enforcement cooperation. The agreement was signed on July 7th  and 8th in New Delhi during the third meeting of the India-US Counternarcotics Working Group (CNWG). Mr Kemp Chester, Senior Advisor to the Director of National Drug Control Policy at the White House, and Mr Satya Narayan Pradhan, Director General, NCB, respectively, led the delegations from India and the United States. Senior officials from the State Department and Department of Justice co-led the US delegation.

The discussion covered a wide range of topics, including drug demand, narcotics trafficking, regulatory and control efforts, and cooperation in enforcement and criminal investigations. Participants in the discussions included representatives from relevant agencies in charge of drug policy development, drug demand reduction, and other drug-related issues. After presenting an overview of the prevailing drug trafficking scenarios and highlighting current preventive methods taken in both countries, representatives signed an Amended Letter of Agreement in the field of narcotics control and law enforcement cooperation. In addition, they reviewed the potential for bilateral cooperation in multilateral forums, regulatory issues, and law enforcement coordination during the meeting.

As areas from where drug trafficking and related crimes emerge may pose a serious threat, the two countries agreed to enhance their cooperation and information-sharing on the subject. They also decided to work together to combat the exploitation of unregulated chemicals and pharmaceuticals diverted by drug trafficking networks as well as include drug demand reduction topics under CNWG. According to a joint statement, both countries have agreed to share their closer cooperation on information-sharing and capacity-building in fighting against drug trafficking and related crimes, and also exchange top monitoring techniques for unregulated chemicals used in pharmaceutical production.

In recognition of the significance of bilateral capacity-building in combating cross-border drug trafficking, the US will conduct training sessions for Indian drug enforcement agencies on trafficking in fentanyl and related synthetic opioids.