Champhai, Mizoram: In a major breakthrough against cross-border drug trafficking, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out its first-ever operation in Champhai, a Mizoram town bordering Myanmar, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Simultaneous raids were conducted across Aizawl and Champhai in Mizoram, Sribhumi (Karimganj) in Assam, and Ahmedabad in Gujarat.
The probe stems from an FIR registered by Mizoram Police under the NDPS Act, after officers seized 4.724 kg of heroin worth over ₹1.41 crore from six individuals. A detailed financial investigation revealed strong links between Mizoram-based firms and companies operating in Gujarat.
According to the ED, Gujarat-based suppliers provided Pseudoephedrine tablets—listed under Schedule A, B, and C of the NDPS-RCS Order 2013—and Caffeine Anhydrous, a pre-precursor for manufacturing methamphetamine tablets, to firms in Mizoram that maintained connections with drug smugglers. These smugglers reportedly moved narcotics and funds through habitual offenders in Champhai.
Investigators also identified financial ties between Mizoram companies and shell entities in Kolkata that procured large quantities of Caffeine Anhydrous. The ED noted that precursor chemicals are often trafficked from India to Myanmar through porous border points, where they are converted into methamphetamine. The finished drugs then flow back into India, primarily through Mizoram.
During the financial analysis, ED found massive credits totalling ₹52.8 crore in the bank accounts of narco-hawala operators, with cash deposits traced to Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, West Bengal, Tripura, and Delhi. Statements of these operators are currently being recorded.
Searches also led to the recovery of ₹35 lakh in cash and multiple digital devices, which are now under examination as the probe deepens.
