Guwahati, June 8: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sunday carried out searches at four locations across Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to a large narcotics seizure by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
Officials said the searches were conducted under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The case originates from an NCB complaint related to the seizure of 49.101 kg of methamphetamine and 40 grams of heroin in Tripura on August 21, 2025.
According to officials, the properties searched are located in strategically sensitive areas near India’s international borders. In Tripura, the premises are situated around 200 metres from the Bangladesh border, while one location in Mizoram lies approximately 500 metres from the Myanmar border. Another site in West Bengal was also covered during the operation.
Investigators suspect that an organised cross-border syndicate was involved in sourcing methamphetamine from Myanmar through the Champhai–Zokhawthar route in Mizoram before distributing it to recipients in Tripura. The agency is currently examining the financial network linked to the alleged trafficking operation.
Preliminary findings indicate that proceeds of crime worth around Rs 142 crore were allegedly routed through multiple bank accounts and shell entities. The ED is now focused on tracing these funds and identifying the broader financial infrastructure supporting the suspected drug trafficking network.
Further details are awaited as searches continue and officials analyse documents and materials seized during the operation.
