Assam Rifles, DRI and Tripura Police seize 12.26 lakh Yaba tablets worth Rs 98.08 crore in Khowai and Panisagar, while a wider DRI operation across Assam and Tripura recovers 231.8 kg of suspected methamphetamine and leads to three arrests.
Security and enforcement agencies have intensified their crackdown on narcotics trafficking across Tripura and the wider Northeast, with two major operations in the state resulting in the seizure of 12.26 lakh Yaba tablets valued at approximately Rs 98.08 crore. The operations were conducted in Khowai and North Tripura on the night of September 15 by the Assam Rifles in coordination with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Tripura Police.
The seizures came amid heightened surveillance over the movement of synthetic drugs through the Northeast. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, agencies carried out separate operations at Khowai and Panisagar, intercepting consignments allegedly being transported through the state.
According to an Assam Rifles statement reported on Wednesday, the combined operations resulted in the recovery of 12,26,000 Yaba tablets, with their estimated value placed at Rs 98.08 crore. Two persons, both from Assam, were arrested in connection with the seizures.
7.26 lakh tablets seized in Khowai
In the first operation, security personnel working with the DRI recovered 7.26 lakh Yaba tablets at Khowai Chowmuhani in Khowai district. The consignment was estimated to be worth approximately Rs 58.08 crore.
An individual from Itakhola in Assam’s Sonitpur district was arrested in connection with the seizure. The operation was based on intelligence inputs, allowing the agencies to intercept the suspected consignment before it could move further through the region.
The recovery represents a substantial quantity of synthetic narcotics and highlights the scale of consignments that enforcement agencies are attempting to intercept along transport routes in the Northeast.
5 lakh tablets recovered in Panisagar
A second operation was conducted at Panisagar in North Tripura, where Assam Rifles personnel and North Tripura Police recovered another 5 lakh Yaba tablets. The seized consignment was valued at around Rs 40 crore.
A resident of Nagrmari in Assam’s Morigaon district was arrested in connection with the seizure, while a truck allegedly used for transporting the narcotics was also seized.
The Panisagar operation followed specific intelligence about the movement of narcotics. The recovery of such a large quantity from a single consignment has added to the series of major drug seizures reported in Tripura and neighbouring states.
Yaba tablets are methamphetamine-based stimulant drugs and are considered highly addictive. The large-scale seizures have therefore placed renewed focus on the trafficking routes used for transporting synthetic drugs through the Northeast.
Wider DRI operation recovers 231.8 kg of suspected methamphetamine
The Tripura seizures were accompanied by a separate, broader intelligence-led operation conducted by the DRI across Assam and Tripura. According to a September 16 release from the Ministry of Finance, DRI officers intercepted four trucks at multiple locations on September 15 following specific intelligence about suspected methamphetamine consignments.
At Ramnathpur in Assam, around 100 km from Silchar, DRI officers, assisted by the 38 Battalion of Assam Rifles, intercepted one suspected truck. A second truck carrying a similar consignment was subsequently located nearby.
Searches of the two vehicles resulted in the recovery of 275 packets weighing 55 kg and 271 packets weighing 54.2 kg, respectively. The pinkish-orange tablets were suspected to be methamphetamine and were concealed in the roofs of the drivers’ cabins. The combined recovery from the two vehicles amounted to 109.2 kg, and one person was arrested. Both vehicles were seized under provisions of the NDPS Act.
The operation then expanded into Tripura. Another goods carrier carrying a declared load of cement was intercepted at Teliamura, while travelling from Khowai towards Agartala. A detailed search resulted in the recovery of 295 packets weighing 72.6 kg of suspected methamphetamine tablets concealed in the roof of the driver’s cabin. The vehicle was seized and its driver arrested.
Further intelligence developed during the operation led DRI officers to another truck near Panisagar in Tripura. The search resulted in the recovery of another 50 kg of suspected methamphetamine tablets, also concealed inside the vehicle. The truck was seized and its driver arrested.
The DRI said the coordinated operation resulted in the seizure of 231.8 kg of suspected methamphetamine tablets, the arrest of three persons, and the seizure of all four trucks allegedly used to transport the consignments. The estimated illicit street value of the drugs was described as running into several hundred crore rupees.
Continued focus on Northeast trafficking routes
The latest actions underline the growing reliance on intelligence sharing and coordinated operations among central agencies, Assam Rifles and state police forces to intercept narcotics consignments.
The DRI also said that earlier in August 2026, two intelligence-led operations near Silchar and Mizoram had resulted in the seizure of 76 kg of methamphetamine tablets, which were similarly found concealed inside vehicles.
Taken together, the recent seizures demonstrate both the scale of enforcement activity and the continued movement of synthetic narcotics through the Northeast. The recovery of 12.26 lakh Yaba tablets in Tripura alone represents a major seizure, while the wider DRI operation involving 231.8 kg of suspected methamphetamine indicates the presence of multiple consignments moving through interconnected routes.
The arrested persons, seized narcotics and vehicles are being handed over to the concerned authorities for further investigation and legal proceedings. Investigators are expected to examine the source of the consignments, their intended destinations and possible links to wider trafficking networks.
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The operations also demonstrate the importance of real-time intelligence, surveillance and inter-agency coordination in disrupting the transportation of illicit drugs. While the seizures represent significant interceptions, the repeated recovery of large consignments across Tripura, Assam and neighbouring areas indicates that narcotics trafficking remains an ongoing enforcement challenge in the Northeast.
