The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 9 carried out coordinated searches at four locations spanning the Mizoram-Myanmar border region, the Tripura-Bangladesh border and West Bengal as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation linked to an interstate and cross-border narcotics trafficking network.
Officials said teams from the ED’s Aizawl Sub-Zonal Office launched simultaneous raids in the early hours of Monday under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The searches targeted premises associated with individuals suspected of laundering proceeds generated through illegal drug trafficking activities.
The case originates from a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) investigation involving the seizure of 49.101 kilograms of methamphetamine and 40 grams of heroin in Tripura on August 21, 2025. According to officials, the premises searched in Tripura were located around 200 metres from the Bangladesh border, while those covered in Mizoram lay approximately 500 metres from the Myanmar border.
Preliminary investigations have indicated the existence of an organised transnational syndicate allegedly procuring methamphetamine from Myanmar through the Champhai and Zokhawthar border sectors before routing the contraband to recipients in Tripura. Investigators suspect that proceeds generated from the illicit trade were subsequently layered through multiple bank accounts and shell entities to conceal their source and ownership.
The ED said it has identified proceeds of crime exceeding ₹142 crore during the course of the investigation. The latest searches are aimed at collecting evidence related to financial transactions, identifying additional beneficiaries linked to the alleged network and tracing the movement of funds generated through the cross-border narcotics trade.
The operation highlights increasing concerns among enforcement agencies over the use of northeastern border regions as transit routes for synthetic drugs originating from Myanmar and entering Indian markets through organised trafficking channels.
The investigation is continuing, and officials indicated that further action will be taken based on evidence gathered during the searches.
