The Philippines co-chaired with India the 9th ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD) + India Consultation, bringing together ASEAN Member States and India for a strategic exchange on the evolving illicit drug situation and priorities for regional cooperation.
Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Deputy Executive Director for Administration – Assistant Secretary Ma. Victoria Sorne headed the Philippine delegation with fellow key officers, and joined by representatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the ASEAN Training Center for Preventive Drug Education (ATCPDE).
Following the preliminaries, the delegates exchanged updates on the illicit drug situation in India and across the ASEAN region. Narcotics Control Bureau of the Ministry of Home Affairs from the Government of India – Deputy Director General of Neeraj Kumar Gupta shared recent developments on the extent of drug abuse in the country, noting that the drug trafficking landscape has become increasingly complex with the use of air routes, darknet platforms, cryptocurrencies, and courier services. The presentation also covered enforcement trends and challenges, demand reduction initiatives, and measures to strengthen precursor and synthetic drug control. The exchange also reflected the importance of capacity-building and sustained cooperation with regional partners in addressing increasingly interconnected drug threats.
On behalf of ASEAN, the Philippines presented the regional drug situation using data compiled through the ASEAN Drug Monitoring Network (ADMN). The assessment showed that treatment admissions reached their highest recorded level in 2025, with amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), particularly methamphetamine, continuing to account for the largest share of treatment cases in the region. The data also pointed to the growing presence of new psychoactive substances, increasing polydrug use, and the continued evolution of transnational organized crime networks, reflecting a drug market that has become more complex and increasingly driven by synthetic substances.
The regional assessment also examined supply-side developments, showing a rebound in drug seizures across ASEAN in 2025 following declines during the pandemic years, alongside sustained enforcement efforts by Member States. Together, these developments pointed to the need for timely information sharing, stronger controls on precursor chemicals, coordinated disruption of transnational trafficking networks, and approaches that complement law enforcement with public health and community-based interventions.
The ASOD–India Consultation remains an important mechanism for ASEAN Member States and India to exchange experiences, share regional and national developments, and strengthen cooperation in addressing shared and emerging drug challenges. The 10th ASOD–India Consultation will be convened under the chairship of Timor-Leste.
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