Indian Council of World Affairs

The Andaman Sea has emerged as a hotspot for transnational crimes, such as drug trafficking and irregular migration, which poses security challenges in the region. Its strategic location between South and Southeast Asia indicates the urgent need for coordinated responses. 

The Andaman Sea, bounded by the coastlines of Myanmar in the north, Thailand and Malaysia in the east and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the west, connects the Bay of Bengal to the Strait of Malacca, making it a crucial trade route. India’s only tri-service command, present in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, grants India a forward presence near the Strait of Malacca and facilitates maritime surveillance in the region and beyond. While the Andaman Sea is strategically located to enhance maritime trade, it is a vulnerable region exploited by non-state actors. It has become a hub for transnational crimes like drug trafficking, irregular migration, arms smuggling, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and cyber-crimes. 

 Map 1: Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal
 

Map 2: Bay of Bengal Sea Lanes of Communication[i]

Transnational Crimes in the Andaman Sea

Drug Trafficking

The Andaman Sea used to be a vital corridor for drug trafficking, particularly methamphetamine (meth) and heroin, from production hubs to regional and global markets. In 2023, Southeast Asia recorded an unprecedented 190 tonnes of methamphetamine,[ii] highlighting the extensive scale of the illegal drug trade. The Andaman Sea serves as a key maritime route for transporting meth and heroin from Myanmar to Southeast Asia and Pacific markets like Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea, with land routes channelling drugs into Bangladesh, India and China. 

For decades, Myanmar has been the global hub for production of heroin, yaba (meth pills), and crystal meth (ice).[iii] Myanmar is now the world’s largest opium producer, with the area under cultivation estimated to be 47,100 hectares in 2023, overtaking Afghanistan after the Taliban banned opium cultivation in 2022[iv]. Drugs move from Shan State to Yangon’s port, a storage hub for smuggled chemicals. It is then shipped through ports and coastal areas along the Andaman Sea, such as Aceh in Indonesia, Ranong in Thailand, and Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, which are used as major entry and exit points for drug shipments.ii 

The spike in drug production has led to significant seizures of meth, alongside large quantities of ketamine, and yaba, throughout 2023 and early 2024. For instance, in late November 2024, the Indian Coast Guard, in coordination with the Sri Lankan Navy, intercepted a Myanmar-flagged fishing trawler about 8 nautical miles east of Barren Island in the Andaman Sea. The Indian Coast Guard seized 5,500 kg of meth, destined for Thailand, from the boat, making the largest drug seizure in its history.  The operation revealed the use of sophisticated technology, like Starlink satellite communication, by traffickers to coordinate their activities. 

Irregular Migration               

Irregular migration, especially of the Rohingya refugees, is another major challenge in the Andaman Sea. The 2017 military crackdown in Rakhine, Myanmar, led to the displacement of over 800,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh. Escaping decades of persecution in Myanmar, many found refuge in Bangladesh, the largest host country for Rohingya refugees, which hosts over 1.1 million Rohingya individuals.[v] Due to the overcrowded camps and limited livelihood opportunities in Bangladesh, the Rohingya are subjected to undertake dangerous maritime routes, often facilitated by smugglers and traffickers. The trafficking networks operate along the maritime routes from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, a primary departure point, to Aceh in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Between 2022 and 2023, boat movements along these routes surged by over 340%,[vi] with over 7,500 people attempting to cross in 2024 alone, and more than 650 reported dead or missing due to the hazardous conditions of the journey.[vii] More recently, in May 2025, boat accidents off the coast of Myanmar claimed over 400 lives, over half of them departing from Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.[viii]

There is an intersection between irregular movements, human trafficking, drug smuggling and other criminal activities. Irregular migrants and other people from all over the world have been duped into cybercrime hubs in Myanmar’s border regions along Thailand, where they are forced to work in online scam operations.[ix] Strengthening security-related activities in the littoral states of the Andaman Sea is necessary due to the convergence of such criminal activities.

Regional Actors and Responses to Transnational Crimes

Complex networks involving the Golden Triangle region, the intersection of Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, drive transnational crimes in the Andaman Sea. China, sharing borders with the countries of the Golden Triangle, is reportedly a key producer of precursor chemicals and a market and transit point for narcotics. Chinese nationals are also involved in running drug and cyber-scam networks in the region. China engages with both the Myanmar junta and ethnic armed organisations (EAOs), drawing criticism for sustaining regional instability through support for drug-funded insurgent groups[x].  It is also to be noted that the internal instability in Myanmar has led to a surge in arms movement in the region[xi].

Despite the challenges posed by these actors, regional and international responses have been initiated to address transnational crimes. In 2015, when thousands of Rohingya refugees were stranded at sea after being turned away by Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, the Southeast Asian nations began strengthening regional migration policies.[xii] The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons, and Related Transnational Crime are two key regional bodies that have practical mandates on forced migration.[xiii] The Bali Process, with 45 Asia-Pacific member states, co-chaired by Indonesia and Australia, facilitates dialogue, information-sharing, and joint operations like search-and-rescue missions, promoting humane and coordinated responses to irregular migration.vi

Recognising the strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific, India has strengthened its efforts through the ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME) in 2023, the India-ASEAN Maritime Security Dialogue, and joint exercises with Malaysia and Thailand.[xiv] The tri-service Andaman and Nicobar Command facilitates maritime cooperation with Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka through joint naval exercises, coordinated patrols, and maritime domain awareness initiatives to address asymmetrical security concerns in these waters.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Convention on Combating International Terrorism, Transnational Organised Crime, and Illicit Drug Trafficking promotes cooperation against organised crime and drug trafficking[xv]. In April 2025, BIMSTEC and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding[xvi] to strengthen collaboration against transnational crimes across South and Southeast Asia, focusing on information-sharing, capacity building, and coordinated maritime security efforts. In response to the surge in drug trafficking, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia have expanded their coastal security and actively engaged in improving precursor chemical control.[xvii]

The geostrategic importance of the Andaman Sea is overshadowed by its vulnerability to transnational crimes, driven by Myanmar’s instability. While regional initiatives have attempted to improve the security in the region, operational gaps exist. For India, considering the larger Indo-Pacific region, the Andaman Sea is a vital area to protect its eastern coastline and strengthen its ties with Southeast Asian neighbours.    

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*Bhavishya Lakshmi B, Research Intern, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal. 

Endnotes

[i] Anu Anwar, “Positioning the Bay of Bengal in the Great Game of the Indo-Pacific Fulcrum”, Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs - Air University Press, April 1, 2022. https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/JIPA/Display/Article/2980896/positioning-the-bay-of-bengal-in-the-great-game-of-the-indo-pacific-fulcrum/ (Accessed on July 16, 2025)

[ii] UNODC, “Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia”, 2024. https://www.unodc.org/roseap/uploads/documents/Publications/2024/Synthetic_Drugs_in_East_and_Southeast_Asia_2024.pdf (Accessed on July 4, 2025)

[iii] Fire and Ice: Conflict and Drugs in Myanmar’s Shan State, International Crisis Group, January 08, 2019. https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-east-asia/myanmar/299-fire-and-ice-conflict-and-drugs-myanmars-shan-state (Accessed on July 11, 2025)

[iv] UNODC, “Southeast Asia Opium Survey 2023 Cultivation, Production, and Implications”. https://www.unodc.org/roseap/uploads/documents/Publications/2023/Southeast_Asia_Opium_Survey_2023.pdf (Accessed on July 10, 2025)

[v] UNHCR, “Desperate Irregular Journeys: Rohingya Refugees in Search of Protection”, December 31, 2024. https://data.unhcr.org/ar/documents/download/114965 (Accessed on July 3, 2025

[vi] Bali Process Member States and international organisations convene to promote coordinated efforts in Combatting Maritime People Smuggling in Andaman Sea region, The Regional Support Office of the Bali Process, March 11, 2024. https://rso.baliprocess.net/bali-process-member-states-and-international-organisations-convene-to-promote-coordinated-efforts-in-combatting-maritime-people-smuggling-in-andaman-sea-region/ (Accessed on July 8, 2025)

[vii] UNHCR, “Focus on saving lives, urges UNHCR as more Rohingya flee by sea”, January 8, 2025. https://www.unhcr.org/asia/news/press-releases/focus-saving-lives-urges-unhcr-more-rohingya-flee-sea (Accessed on July 8, 2025)

[viii] UNHCR, “UNHCR fears extreme desperation led to deaths of 427 Rohingya at sea”, May 23, 2025. https://www.unhcr.org/news/press-releases/unhcr-fears-extreme-desperation-led-deaths-427-rohingya-sea (Accessed on July 10, 2025)

[ix] Clara Fong, “How Myanmar became a global center for cyber scams”, Council on Foreign Relations, May 31, 2024. https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/how-myanmar-became-global-center-cyber-scams (Accessed on July 20, 2025)

[x] Myanmar War: China’s Support for Ethnic Armed Groups, Special Eurasia, July 4, 2024.  https://www.specialeurasia.com/2024/07/04/myanmar-war-chinas-ethnicmilitia/ (Accessed on July 20, 2025)

[xi] Beyond legacy weapons: South East Asia’s illicit arms trade is diversifying, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, June 25, 2025. https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/south-east-asia-illicit-arms-trade-ocindex/ (Accessed on July 20, 2025)

[xii] 10 Years of Rohingya Refugees Stranded at Sea, Human Rights Watch, 27 May 2025. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/05/26/10-years-rohingya-refugees-stranded-sea (Accessed on June 30, 2025)

[xiii] Australia’s role in preventing the next Andaman Sea refugee catastrophe, Lowy Institute, May 26, 2025. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/australia-s-role-preventing-next-andaman-sea-refugee-catastrophe (Accessed on July 14, 2025)

[xiv] Acting East on the seas: India’s naval cooperation with ASEAN, Lowy Institute, June 19, 2023. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/acting-east-seas-india-s-naval-cooperation-asean (Accessed on July 14, 2025)

[xv] BIMSTEC Convention on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism, Transnational Organised Crime And Illicit Drug Trafficking, MEA, December, 2009.

https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/5070/BIMSTEC+Convention+on+Cooperation+in+Combating+International+Terrorism+Transnational+Organised+Crime+And+Illicit+Drug+Trafficking (Accessed on July 16, 2025)

[xvi] UNODC and BIMSTEC sign Memorandum of Understanding for a Safer Bay of Bengal, UNODC, April 8, 2025. https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/news/2025/April/unodc-and-bimstec-sign-memorandum-of-understanding-for-a-safer-bay-of-bengal.html (Accessed on July 16, 2025)

[xvii] Improving precursor chemical and other non-controlled chemical control in Southeast Asia, Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats, n.d. https://www.globalcoalition.us/node/71 (Accessed on July 16, 2025)