NEW DELHI — The World Anti-Doping Agency sent a delegation to New Delhi to forge a partnership with India's Central Bureau of Investigation and cybercrime units aimed at disrupting networks that supply performance-enhancing drugs. WADA Head of Investigations Gunter Younger led the delegation, which also included WADA President Witold Banka, as the agency sought to build stronger ties with Indian law enforcement agencies to help uphold the credibility of professional sport.

WADA has asked for the CBI's assistance in curtailing the supply chain of racketeers and agents who peddle performance-enhancing drugs. Younger said the agency aims to work with the CBI to adopt a top-down strategy targeting criminal networks, coaches, and doctors responsible for providing such substances rather than focusing solely on individual athletes.

The delegation's visit follows years of doping-related data that have placed India at the center of global anti-doping enforcement. In 2025, WADA said India had topped the list of global sports drug cheats for three consecutive years. India's National Anti-Doping Agency collected 7,113 urine and blood samples in 2024, of which 260 tested positive, according to a WADA report published in December 2025.

Younger said that criminal networks adjust quickly and that less than 1 percent of doping tests return positive results, indicating the need for improved strategies beyond sample collection. He said India's population of 1.4 billion makes it important to strengthen anti-doping systems in collaboration with Indian authorities.

WADA has operated the Global Anti-Doping Intelligence and Investigations Network initiative since 2022. That initiative has supported an INTERPOL-backed effort known as Operation Upstream, which has led to 250 raids around the world, dismantling 88 illicit laboratories and seizing almost 90 tonnes of performance-enhancing drugs.

Younger previously served as head of the Bavarian Police's Cybercrime Division before joining WADA, a background that aligns with the agency's emphasis on engaging cybercrime cells during the New Delhi meetings. India is also preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.