Nuclear and Radiological Material Smuggling in the Indian Ocean: Implications for India’s Coastal Security

Incidents of nuclear and radiological smuggling in the Indian Ocean are a matter of concern. Attempts to smuggle nuclear material within India have also been reported as recently as 2021. Indian security agencies previously have also seized natural uranium in coastal states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Bengal indicating how vulnerable the Indian coast is to radiological and nuclear smuggling. The Nuclear Security Index has also consistently ranked India below China and Pakistan despite their poor record on nuclear non-proliferation. These facts highlight concerns regarding the possible misuse of nuclear and radiological material by criminal and terrorist networks. Since India is targeted by terrorist groups and lies in the vicinity of countries and routes that see frequent nuclear and radiological trafficking, there are inevitable implications for the Indian coastal security system. This article identifies and analyses these security implications and argues for a beefing up of India’s coastal security.