New Delhi, 13 October (H.S.): Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday that there should be no scope for terrorist networks to find safe havens, recruit members, provide training or mobilise resources anywhere in the BIMSTEC region. He emphasised the need for stronger intelligence-sharing mechanisms and better coordination among security agencies of member countries to combat terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking and transnational organised crime.

Addressing the first BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, Shah said BIMSTEC had emerged as an essential platform for regional integration, economic cooperation and collective security. He stressed that home ministers must translate mutual cooperation into practical arrangements to safeguard citizens and strengthen the capabilities of their respective agencies.

Amit Shah said India followed a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism. He emphasised that the security arrangements of each member country should reinforce the security of all other members. He called for stronger mutual legal assistance and extradition mechanisms, in accordance with national laws and applicable treaties, to ensure that criminals were brought to justice. He also urged all member countries to cooperate in bringing fugitive criminals and terrorists hiding anywhere in the world before the law.

The Home Minister said criminal networks operated across national borders and exploited local vulnerabilities. Encrypted communications, social media, cryptocurrencies, drones and the dark web were increasingly being used for terrorist propaganda, recruitment, fundraising and other illegal activities. He stressed that effective responses to these challenges required real-time cooperation and coordination among intelligence agencies, law enforcement bodies, financial monitoring systems and border management authorities.

Describing drug trafficking as a serious threat, Shah said the illicit drug trade was not merely a criminal activity but an attack on the lives of young people, society, culture and future generations. “There is nothing golden about drug trafficking,” he said. Referring to the region commonly known as the Golden Triangle, he said he preferred to call it the “Death Triangle”. He emphasised that the entire region needed to work together to tackle the problem.

Amit Shah said proceeds from the illegal drug trade strengthened organised crime financially and were also used to fund terrorist activities. The illicit use of precursor chemicals and transactions conducted through the dark web had made the challenge even more complex. He proposed closer monitoring of the entire drug supply chain, real-time information-sharing, the formation of joint task forces, measures to prevent the illegal use of chemicals, and greater cooperation in financial investigations and the seizure of illicit assets.

He also described human trafficking as a serious challenge to collective security and human rights. Shah said cooperation among member countries in identifying, rescuing, assisting, rehabilitating and safely repatriating victims should form an integral part of their joint efforts. He also stressed the need to develop common protocols and monitoring mechanisms to address fraudulent recruitment, cybercrime and cyber slavery.

The Home Minister underscored the importance of exchanging actionable intelligence through existing nodal agencies to curb terrorist financing and organised crime. He said the timely sharing of verified information on terrorists, their associates, criminal networks, financial channels and cross-border activities could strengthen regional security. Sharing financial intelligence and investigative expertise would also help disrupt the flow of illicit funds.

Amit Shah said institutional links and capacity-building among BIMSTEC countries should be strengthened alongside cooperation in cybersecurity and cybercrime investigations. He proposed advancing collaboration through a network of liaison officers, the proposed BIMSTEC Security Information Database and an information-sharing centre. He also offered to share India’s expertise in police training, counterterrorism operations and forensic investigations.

The Home Minister also called for prioritising regional cooperation in disaster management. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed the establishment of a BIMSTEC Centre for Disaster Management in India during the sixth BIMSTEC Summit. Shah said the centre was planned to be established in Jamnagar, Gujarat, and urged member countries to participate actively in making it operational.

Shah said India remained committed to working with all BIMSTEC member countries to build a peaceful, secure and prosperous Bay of Bengal region based on trust, mutual respect and cooperation. He expressed the hope that the meeting would produce concrete outcomes and reaffirmed India’s support for continued dialogue at the level of home ministers. He added that India was willing to assist in hosting future meetings with the consent of the member countries.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar