Aizwal: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on October 23 launched a coordinated crackdown on an alleged international narcotics cartel operating across Northeast India, conducting searches at 38 locations in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur under Operation Trident.
The operation reportedly uncovered hawala transactions worth Rs 100 crore and resulted in the freezing of 1,424 bank accounts. The agency also attached properties valued at Rs 17.82 crore, seized 500 detonators and recovered Rs 12 lakh in cash. Eighteen people were arrested during the coordinated action, according to the information released about the operation.
The searches were conducted in Aizawl, Champhai and Lawngtlai in Mizoram, as well as Churachandpur in Manipur. The investigation centres on alleged money laundering linked to cross-border trafficking of heroin, brown sugar and methamphetamine tablets sourced from Myanmar.
The ED carried out the operation in coordination with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Mizoram Police, which reportedly undertook parallel action against the trafficking network.
Three Money-Laundering Cases Form Basis Of Probe
The ED initiated investigations in three cases based on FIRs registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The cases relate to separate drug seizures in Mizoram and Manipur.
The first case stems from the seizure of 4.722 kg of heroin packed in 440 soap cases by Zokhawthar Police in Champhai on March 14, 2025. The consignment was allegedly being transported from Zokhawthar to Aizawl for a supplier based in Myanmar.
The second investigation relates to an August 21, 2025, seizure by the NCB’s Agartala unit. Officials recovered 49.101 kg of methamphetamine tablets and 40 grams of heroin from a convoy on National Highway 06A near Seling in Mizoram. The drugs were allegedly sourced from Chintuang in Myanmar and were intended for delivery near the Damchhera-Kanhmun border.
The third case concerns Zenngaihniang, also known as Taniang, in Manipur. Churachandpur Police seized 2.413 kg of brown sugar and Rs 31.43 lakh in cash on July 2, 2026. Investigators suspect the cash was generated through drug sales and was being collected for transfer to suppliers in Myanmar.
How The Alleged Narco-Hawala Network Operated
According to the investigation details, the three cases exposed an interconnected network that allegedly used bank accounts in Champhai, Aizawl and Lawngtlai to receive proceeds from drug sales across Manipur, Mizoram, Assam and Tripura.
The money was allegedly routed through hawala channels to settle payments with Myanmar-based suppliers. Investigators suspect that the same group of bank accounts was used across multiple locations, linking the narcotics trade to an organised financial settlement system.
The Northeast’s border with Myanmar is a key part of the investigation. The region shares a 1,643-km border with the neighbouring country and has emerged as a land corridor for narcotics associated with the Golden Triangle, official sources said.
Heroin and methamphetamine tablets entering Mizoram and Manipur are reportedly distributed locally or transported through Assam to other parts of India and Bangladesh. The alleged network also operated in the reverse direction, with precursor substances and cutting chemicals being transported from India into Myanmar.
Amit Shah Praises Agencies For Operation Trident
Union Home Minister Amit Shah welcomed the crackdown, crediting central agencies and state police forces for their coordinated action against the alleged cartel.
In a post on X, Shah said Operation Trident had targeted an international narcotics network operating across 38 locations in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur. He also referred to the alleged movement of drugs across India, Myanmar and Bangladesh and reiterated the government’s stated objective of eliminating drug networks by December 31, 2029.
The operation marks a significant enforcement action against suspected drug trafficking and the financial channels allegedly supporting it. Further investigation will be required to establish the roles of those arrested, trace the wider money trail and determine the full extent of the network.
