A multi-agency crackdown across Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur and Assam has seized drugs worth Rs 100 crore and arrested 12 traffickers. Major cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine hauls highlight growing cross-border narco-networks linked to Myanmar’s Chin State.
In a sweeping multi-agency crackdown on transnational narcotics trafficking, law enforcement agencies across the Northeastern region have seized drugs worth over Rs 100 crore and arrested 12 accused, including four Myanmar nationals, over the past week. Officials confirmed on Sunday that the operations, led by the Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Excise and Narcotics Department of Mizoram, state police forces of Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram, were part of a coordinated effort to dismantle the increasing flow of drugs from Myanmar into India.
According to officials, the drugs seized include methamphetamine tablets, heroin, cocaine, dry ganja, and foreign-origin cigarettes, all smuggled primarily from Myanmar’s Chin State, which has long been a hub for narcotics, exotic wildlife, and other contraband. Authorities stated that a well-organised nexus involving traffickers from Mizoram, Tripura, Assam and Myanmar has been operating an extensive drug trafficking network targeting Northeastern states and neighbouring countries.
Major Cocaine Bust in Tripura
In one of the most significant breakthroughs, the Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with the Customs Department, seized 800 grams of high-purity cocaine valued at nearly Rs 8 crore on November 17 in Tripura. Two Indian nationals from Bishalgarh in Sepahijala district were arrested.
A Customs Department official revealed that the operation followed specific intelligence inputs about a Pakistan-linked drug syndicate smuggling cocaine into India through the Punjab border. After crossing into India, the narcotics were reportedly transported via surface routes to Tripura and other Northeastern states for further smuggling into Bangladesh and Southeast Asian countries through Mizoram.
Following the intelligence alert, an operation was launched in Agartala, leading to the seizure of the cocaine consignment and the arrest of the two traffickers. Authorities believe that the dismantled network was part of a larger, inter-state syndicate with connections extending across India and neighbouring nations.
Massive Methamphetamine and Heroin Seizures in Mizoram
In another major anti-narcotics action, the Mizoram Police seized methamphetamine tablets and heroin worth Rs 41.64 crore in two separate operations carried out on November 19 and 20. Three traffickers—two from Assam and one from Manipur—were apprehended for possessing the smuggled narcotics.
Methamphetamine tablets, widely known as Yaba or party tablets, contain a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine, and are among the most widely abused drugs in India, Bangladesh and neighbouring countries. Often referred to as the “crazy drug”, these tablets are banned in India but continue to be trafficked into the Northeastern states through unfenced portions of the Myanmar border.
Mizoram shares a 510-km border with Myanmar, of which 318 km remains unfenced, making the region especially vulnerable to the smuggling of narcotics and other illegal goods. Myanmar’s Chin State, adjacent to several Mizoram districts including Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual and Serchhip, continues to be the primary entry point.
NCB Highlights Rising Threat of Organised Narco-Networks
Earlier this month, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Director General Anurag Garg, speaking at the Regional Conference of Heads of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of Northeastern States and West Bengal in Kohima, emphasised that a majority of heroin and narcotic substances entering the Northeast originate from Myanmar. He added that certain insurgent groups and organised criminal networks are directly involved in producing, transporting and distributing illegal drugs.
Garg pointed out that drug trafficking fuels other criminal activities and poses severe threats to public health, often leading to increased violence, higher addiction rates, and substantial strain on healthcare systems. Citing a 2019 Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) survey, he highlighted that drug abuse prevalence in Northeastern states is significantly higher than in other regions of India.
Mizoram Intensifies Anti-Drug Campaign
Meanwhile, the Mizoram Government has been conducting a four-month-long intensive anti-drug campaign since September 1 to curb illegal drug trade and reduce addiction. Mizoram Inspector General of Police H. Ramthlengliana stated that the special operations would continue until December 31, with stronger surveillance along the border and enhanced intelligence-sharing among states.
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With narcotics networks expanding across borders and insurgent-backed syndicates gaining ground, authorities underscore the need for sustained, inter-agency collaboration to tackle the evolving drug crisis in the Northeast.
