Myanmar-based drug cartels are intensifying narcotics trafficking into Northeast India, exploiting unrest, porous borders and difficult terrain. Rising opium cultivation and synthetic drug production are posing major challenges for NCB, Assam Rifles and other Indian security agencies.
The fight against narcotics trafficking continues to pose a major security challenge for Indian agencies, with drug networks operating along the India-Myanmar border emerging as a growing concern in the Northeast. Security officials say Myanmar-based cartels are using the region’s porous borders, difficult terrain and periods of unrest to expand their trafficking networks and push large quantities of narcotics into Indian markets.
Indian agencies have stepped up efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks across the country, including those linked to international operators. While sustained action has disrupted several major networks, officials say the northeastern states remain particularly vulnerable because of their proximity to Myanmar and the geography of the region.
An official said the India-Myanmar border remains one of the biggest challenges for Indian enforcement agencies. The situation has become more complicated following changes in global opium production patterns. The reduction in opium cultivation in Afghanistan has increased attention on Myanmar, which has emerged as a major source of illicit opium.
According to figures cited by officials, Myanmar’s opium cultivation area increased to around 53,100 hectares in 2025. The expansion has strengthened the position of Myanmar-based drug networks and created additional pressure on neighbouring countries, including India.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Assam Rifles have continued coordinated operations against narcotics trafficking in the Northeast. Their joint efforts have resulted in several major seizures during the past two to three years. However, officials caution that seizures alone cannot eliminate the problem because the supply networks have substantial financial resources and the ability to reorganise quickly.
Officials said Myanmar’s drug cartels operate on a large scale and possess significant financial strength. Their resources enable them to absorb losses following seizures and arrests while establishing alternative routes and supply chains.
“There is a strong possibility that the combined wealth of these cartels could be significantly greater than that of a government,” an official said, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing enforcement agencies.
According to officials, even after multiple consignments are intercepted, trafficking networks can rapidly regroup. The availability of money allows them to recruit intermediaries, establish new routes and maintain connections with local networks involved in transportation and distribution.
The security situation in the Northeast adds another layer of complexity. An Intelligence Bureau official said drug cartels have repeatedly attempted to exploit conflict and unrest in states such as Manipur to strengthen their operations.
Officials allege that trafficking networks have, on several occasions, attempted to exploit sensitive local issues through their associates, contributing to situations that can result in prolonged unrest. When security forces and other agencies are heavily engaged in controlling violence, drug networks can attempt to move consignments through less-monitored routes.
According to the official, periods of prolonged violence can divert the attention and resources of security agencies, creating opportunities for traffickers to move narcotics into the region.
The scale of the problem has also been reflected in seizure data. In 2025, the NCB described the narcotics trade emerging from Myanmar as “dramatic.” In March 2026, the government informed the Lok Sabha that narcotics seizures had increased considerably across several northeastern states.
The seizure figures underline the growing pressure on enforcement agencies. Assam recorded 31,706 kg of narcotics seizures, while Tripura reported 46,346 kg. In Mizoram, seizures increased from 1,967 kg in 2024 to 2,233 kg in 2025, according to the figures cited.
Other seizure data also points to a significant increase in narcotics trafficking in the region. Officials say the large quantities being intercepted demonstrate the scale of enforcement operations, but they also indicate that substantial volumes of drugs continue to move through the region.
Intelligence assessments cited by officials indicate that drug production linked to Myanmar-based networks has increased sharply in 2026. Officials have warned that production could be nearly three times higher than earlier levels, creating additional pressure on Indian agencies responsible for intercepting supplies.
The threat is not limited to traditional opium-based narcotics. Myanmar-based criminal networks are also reportedly producing synthetic drugs on a large scale. Methamphetamine has emerged as a particular concern because of its increasing availability and demand in Indian markets.
The growing movement of synthetic drugs creates additional difficulties for enforcement agencies because trafficking networks can adapt their operations according to demand. While traditional narcotics remain a major concern, the expansion of synthetic drug production adds a new dimension to the threat facing the Northeast.
The geography of the India-Myanmar border further complicates efforts to control the flow of narcotics. The Moreh-Tamu border is regarded as a key transit point for trafficking networks. At the same time, several stretches of the international boundary remain difficult to monitor because of their porous nature.
Forest-covered areas, hills and difficult terrain provide traffickers with opportunities to avoid established routes and security checkpoints. Officials say these conditions make surveillance, patrols and interdiction operations particularly challenging for Indian agencies.
The issue has also been discussed between India and Myanmar, with both sides holding several rounds of talks on cooperation against narcotics trafficking. Officials say greater coordination between the two countries remains important because a significant part of the supply chain originates outside India’s direct jurisdiction.
However, enforcement agencies acknowledge that addressing the problem will take time. The scale of opium cultivation, synthetic drug production and the financial strength of trafficking networks means that seizures and arrests, while significant, may not be sufficient to dismantle the broader ecosystem.
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For Indian agencies, the challenge therefore extends beyond intercepting individual consignments. It involves disrupting financial networks, identifying local facilitators, strengthening surveillance along vulnerable border stretches and preventing traffickers from exploiting periods of instability.
With Myanmar continuing to remain a major source of illicit opium and synthetic drugs, the Northeast is likely to remain a key focus for Indian narcotics and security agencies. Officials say sustained coordination among the NCB, Assam Rifles, state police forces, intelligence agencies and authorities in neighbouring countries will be essential to contain the expanding narcotics threat.
