Colombia and India deepen police cooperation to combat drug cartels with drone-shield tech

Colombia’s ambassador to India, Victor Hugo Echeverri Jaramillo, announced a push for deeper police cooperation to fight drug trafficking, citing the need for joint intelligence and technology solutions. The initiative includes buying anti-drone shield equipment from Bharat Electronics Ltd, which offers competitive pricing compared with European suppliers, and considering a new police-attaché role at the Colombian embassy in New Delhi.

Existing collaboration features Colombian officers completing an AI-for-human-security course at Rashtriya Raksha University in Gujarat. Indian security analysts say the deal leverages India’s expertise in AI training and drone defence, while Colombia brings on-the-ground knowledge of guerrilla-linked drug production. Senior Indian officials, speaking anonymously, confirmed seizures of Colombian cocaine but did not find evidence of routes through India to Australia or New Zealand. The partnership is viewed as a step toward broader defence and surveillance cooperation between the two nations.