The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has successfully intercepted a major drug consignment in Assam, seizing 6.149 kilograms of “high-grade” heroin valued at approximately ₹12.5 crore in the illicit market. This operation marks a crucial victory against an international drug cartel utilizing a complex riverine route originating from Myanmar to smuggle narcotics into India while evading security surveillance. A senior NCB official confirmed the breakthrough on Tuesday, highlighting the cartel’s increasing reliance on remote waterways to bypass established checkpoints and security camps.
The operation was initiated after the NCB’s Guwahati Zonal Unit spent several weeks developing intelligence. Working in close coordination with the CRPF and Assam Police, the team tracked the illegal consignment as it passed through the dense forest corridors of Manipur. From there, the drugs were transported using small motorboats along the Barak river, a method officials noted is increasingly preferred by traffickers to circumvent urban surveillance.
On December 1, 2025, the NCB team moved to intercept an indigenous motorboat on the Barak river near Silchar in Cachar district. The subsequent apprehension of two individuals, both residents of the same district, and a detailed search of the boat led to the significant recovery. The high-quality heroin was found cleverly concealed beneath layers of bamboo, stashed inside 530 soap cases. Preliminary investigations suggest the contraband originated in Myanmar, traversed Manipur’s forest tracts, and was ultimately destined for the Hmarkhawlien–Fulertal–Lakhipur belt in southern Assam.
The arrested individuals, along with the seized contraband, are scheduled to be produced before the court for further legal proceedings. According to NCB officials, the riverine trafficking model exposed in this case is indicative of a wider trend where vulnerable inland waterways are being exploited for cross-border drug movement. Dismantling this particular network represents a substantial success in curbing the narcotics route operating between Myanmar, Manipur, and Assam. In a broader effort to reinforce anti-drug enforcement, the NCB North Eastern Region has stepped up coordination among Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (DLEAs), state police forces, and central armed police and border-guarding units, with State-level Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meetings already held in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Tripura.
