Assam STF and Manipur Police have seized narcotics worth over ₹12.5 crore in coordinated anti-drug operations, recovering Yaba tablets, heroin and brown sugar while arresting multiple suspects.
BY PC Bureau
August 1, 2026: Police in Assam and Manipur have dealt a major blow to drug trafficking networks through a series of coordinated anti-narcotics operations, recovering large consignments of Yaba tablets, heroin and brown sugar worth more than ₹12.5 crore and arresting several suspected traffickers across both states.
The biggest seizure came near Guwahati, where the Assam Special Task Force (STF) intercepted a Tata Nexon in Amingaon, Kamrup district, and recovered nearly 50,000 Yaba tablets weighing about five kilograms along with 67.5 grams of heroin. Officials estimated the combined value of the contraband in the illicit market at around ₹12.5 crore.
The vehicle, bearing registration number AS-11-AA-6800, was allegedly transporting the narcotics from Kakching in Manipur to western Assam, exposing what investigators believe is a well-established interstate drug trafficking route.
Three alleged traffickers from Manipur were arrested during the operation—Kh Tabish (24), Thekcham Avinash Singh (41), both residents of Thoubal district, and Nongmaithem Biswajit (38).
The Assam STF operation coincided with a fresh offensive by the Manipur Police under its ongoing #WarOnDrugs campaign.
In Jiribam district, police intercepted a Ford EcoSport (AS-01DJ-6360) at the Leingangpokpi checkpost and arrested Bhima Panika (42), a resident of Karbi Anglong district in Assam. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 5.21 kilograms of brown sugar, one of the largest recent seizures in the district.
In another operation the same day, police arrested Shahna (27) from Kwakta Ward No. 3 in Bishnupur district. During a search of her residence, officers recovered approximately 70 grams of suspected heroin concealed inside two soap cases.
Meanwhile, investigators also arrested Meraimayum Razak Ahamed (35) from Yairipok Tulihal Mayai Leikai in Imphal East district in connection with an earlier narcotics case registered at Patsoi Police Station under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The case stemmed from the recovery of brown sugar from a Pajero SUV found at a vehicle workshop. Police identified Razak Ahamed as the principal accused in the case.
The back-to-back operations underscore the growing challenge posed by the Northeast’s strategic location along major narcotics trafficking routes connecting the Golden Triangle with the rest of India.
Officials said the seizures have disrupted significant supply chains dealing in Yaba, heroin and brown sugar while dealing a setback to organised trafficking networks operating across state borders. Investigators are now working to identify the larger syndicates behind the consignments and trace the financial and logistical networks supporting the illicit trade.
Police in both Assam and Manipur reiterated their commitment to intensifying anti-drug operations, saying the crackdown is aimed at protecting young people from substance abuse and dismantling organised criminal networks that threaten public safety and regional security.
