Ep 30: One step ahead: Turning the tide in the fight against illegal drug trafficking

Illicit drug trafficking is a shadowy industry with devastating impacts: depleting socioeconomic resources, disrupting trade, fuelling corruption, and eroding social cohesion. Its ripple effects extend across health systems, public infrastructure, and even the environment – deforestation and soil degradation are just some of its hidden casualties. In 2024, nearly 300 million people worldwide were reported to use drugs (UNODC), underscoring the urgent need for coordinated action.

This transnational challenge evolves rapidly, with traffickers exploiting ever-changing routes, methods, and substances – most alarmingly, synthetic opioids. These potent drugs, traded in minute quantities, are hardly detectable, presenting unprecedented challenges for enforcement agencies.

In this episode of Voice Mail, Ian Kerr speaks with Jagjit Pavadia, Board Member and former President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), to uncover how global cooperation can outpace criminal ingenuity. Pavadia shares insights into international partnerships, innovative technologies, and the critical role of the postal network in combatting illicit trafficking. From risk profiling and real-time intelligence sharing to training postal operators to detect illegal substances – even hidden in the heels of stiletto shoes – this episode explores actionable solutions to a pressing global crisis.