DRUG TRAFFICKING IN PAKISTAN: ROUTES, NETWORKS, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL AND REGIONAL SECURITY

Abstract

Drug trafficking in Pakistan represents a complex transnational security challenge shaped by its strategic geography, porous borders, regional instability, and evolving criminal networks. Positioned within the Golden Crescent, Pakistan functions primarily as a transit corridor for narcotics originating from neighboring regions, including opium, heroin, cannabis, and increasingly synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine. Major trafficking routes operate through Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and maritime corridors connecting South Asia to the Middle East, Central Asia, and European markets. Organized criminal groups, insurgent networks, and transnational syndicates exploit governance gaps, corruption, informal economies, and emerging digital technologies to sustain and expand illicit trade. Drug trafficking contributes to terrorism financing, money laundering, organized violence, and socio-economic instability, posing significant threats to Pakistan’s national security and broader regional stability. Using a qualitative approach based on secondary sources, this study analyzes trafficking routes, operational structures, and the strategic implications of narcotics flows. The findings highlight diversification of trafficking commodities, increased cyber-enabled distribution mechanisms, and the growing nexus between organized crime and militancy, underscoring the need for comprehensive, multidimensional policy responses integrating security measures, governance reforms, and regional cooperation.