Experts warn that the Indo-Myanmar border, especially around Manipur and Mizoram, is being increasingly exploited by transnational cartels pushing meth and heroin into Indian markets.
BY PC Bureau
June 14, 2025 – In a series of high-profile operations from June 7 to June 14, 2025, law enforcement agencies in Northeast India dealt a significant blow to narco-trafficking networks, seizing methamphetamine tablets and heroin with an estimated international market value exceeding Rs 123 crore. The operations, primarily in Manipur and Mizoram, highlight the escalating challenge of drug smuggling along the Indo-Myanmar border and the robust response by security forces.
In Manipur, one of the largest hauls occurred late Thursday night, June 12, when Manipur Police and Assam Rifles intercepted a Tata truck on National Highway 37 near New Keithelmanbi Police Picket, under Patsoi Police Station in Imphal West district. The vehicle, en route to Silchar, Assam, concealed 50 packets of methamphetamine (commonly known as “ice”) weighing 57.285 kg, valued at approximately Rs 22 crore in the international black market. The driver, Nawaj Sharif, 34, from Lilong Chingjao in Thoubal district, was arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), 1985, after a meticulous search revealed the drugs hidden in the truck’s roof ceiling.
Another major operation in Manipur, codenamed “Operation White Veil” (June 5–7), conducted in Churachandpur district by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Customs, Assam Rifles, and Manipur Police, resulted in the seizure of 1.5 lakh Yaba tablets (methamphetamine) worth Rs 45 crore, 7,755.75 grams of heroin valued at Rs 10.52 crore, and Rs 5 lakh in cash. Four individuals were arrested in this crackdown targeting drugs smuggled from Myanmar.
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On 12.06.2025, Manipur Police intercepted 01 (one) Tata Truck while coming from Imphal at New Keithelmanbi Police Picket under Patsoi-PS, Imphal West District and found suspected contraband items concealed inside the roof ceiling of the said truck. The suspected contraband items… pic.twitter.com/5n5zJsyKar
— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) June 13, 2025
In Mizoram, on June 9, two separate busts at the Khankawn police check gate in Champhai district, near the Myanmar border, led to the confiscation of 1.01 lakh methamphetamine tablets weighing 11.8 kg, valued at Rs 1.53 crore, and 584 grams of heroin worth approximately Rs 14 lakh. Two individuals from Zokhawthar village were apprehended after the drugs were found concealed in hidden vehicle compartments. The total value of these seizures was approximately Rs 1.67 crore.
Summary of Seizures (June 7–14, 2025):
Methamphetamine: Approximately 2.51 lakh tablets (1.5 lakh in Manipur, 1.01 lakh in Mizoram) and 57.285 kg of methamphetamine (ice) in Manipur, with a combined international market value of Rs 68.53 crore.
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Heroin: 8,339.75 grams (7,755.75 grams in Manipur, 584 grams in Mizoram), valued at Rs 10.66 crore.
Total Estimated International Market Value: Rs 123.72 crore (including cash seized in Manipur).
These operations underscore the critical role of coordinated efforts among agencies like the DRI, Assam Rifles, Manipur Police, and Mizoram Police in combating the influx of synthetic drugs like Yaba and methamphetamine, primarily produced in Myanmar’s Shan State. The region’s proximity to the Golden Triangle, coupled with its porous borders and challenging terrain, makes it a hotspot for transnational drug syndicates.
The DRI has noted a surge in methamphetamine smuggling, with traffickers exploiting remote forest areas and river networks along the Indo-Myanmar border. Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the agencies’ efforts, reiterating the government’s commitment to a drug-free India. Ongoing investigations aim to dismantle these networks and apprehend key cartel members.
The recent busts reflect both the scale of the narcotics trade in Northeast India and the determination of law enforcement to curb it. Authorities are expected to intensify surveillance and intelligence-sharing to prevent the region from becoming a major conduit for illegal drugs.
