In a major crackdown on narcotics trafficking in the Northeast, police in Assam and Manipur have arrested six alleged drug peddlers and seized methamphetamine tablets, heroin, and brown sugar collectively valued at around Rs 23 crore in separate operations.
The largest seizure was made in Assam, where the Special Task Force (STF), acting on specific intelligence, intercepted a vehicle at Amingaon on the outskirts of Guwahati. A search of the vehicle revealed 50,000 methamphetamine tablets weighing approximately five kilograms, concealed in specially designed hidden compartments.
Additionally, officers recovered 67.5 grams of heroin packed inside five soap cases. The total value of the seized contraband is estimated at around Rs 12.5 crore in the international illicit market.
Three occupants of the vehicle—all residents of Manipur—were arrested at the scene. They have been identified as Tabish (24) and Thekcham Avinash Singh (41) from Thoubal district, and Nongmaithem Biswajit (38) from Imphal West district.
Investigators suspect that the narcotics were smuggled from Myanmar into Manipur before being transported to Assam for further distribution. Methamphetamine tablets, commonly known as Yaba or “party tablets,” are highly addictive synthetic drugs widely trafficked across South and Southeast Asia.
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Security agencies have long flagged Manipur and Mizoram as key transit corridors for drug trafficking due to their porous international borders with Myanmar. Mizoram shares approximately 510 km of unfenced border with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh, while Manipur has nearly 400 km of largely unfenced boundary with Myanmar, making the region particularly vulnerable to cross-border smuggling.
In a separate operation, the Manipur Police intercepted a vehicle at the Leingangpokpi checkpost in Jiribam district and arrested Bhima Panika (42), a resident of Assam’s Karbi Anglong district. A search led to the recovery of 5.21 kg of brown sugar, estimated to be worth over Rs 10 crore in the illegal market.
In another case, a 27-year-old woman identified as Shahna was arrested from Kwakta in Bishnupur district after police searched her residence and recovered around 70 grams of heroin concealed in two soap cases. The seized drugs are valued at more than Rs 55 lakh.
Police also arrested Meraimayum Razak Ahamed (35) from Imphal East district in connection with an earlier case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. He is the prime accused in a case involving the recovery of brown sugar from a Pajero SUV found at a vehicle workshop under the jurisdiction of Patsoi Police Station.
Officials said investigations are ongoing to identify other members of the trafficking network and trace the supply chain of the seized narcotics, with a focus on cross-border links.
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