Security forces in Mizoram and Manipur seized methamphetamine tablets and heroin worth over ₹3.68 crore in a series of coordinated operations and arrested five drug peddlers, officials confirmed on Sunday, 20 September 2026. The seizures, carried out by Assam Rifles in conjunction with state police and central forces, underscore the deepening narcotics challenge along India's northeastern border with Myanmar.

Mizoram Operation: Saitual District Bust

Acting on specific intelligence about illegal narcotic transportation, Assam Rifles launched a joint operation with Mizoram Police at the T-Junction areas of Mimbung-Kawlbem-Ngopa in Saitual District. The joint team apprehended one drug peddler during the search, recovering 2.285 kg of methamphetamine tablets valued at approximately ₹1.83 crore. The accused and seized contraband were handed over to Ngopa Police Station for further investigation under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

Champhai District Heroin Seizure at Iron Gate

In a separate operation, troops of Assam Rifles coordinating with Mizoram Police intercepted a drug smuggler at Iron Gate in Zokhawthar, located in Champhai District — a recognised hotspot for drug flows from Myanmar. The search yielded 28 grams of heroin with an estimated street value of ₹5.6 lakh. The arrested individual and the contraband were handed over to Zokhawthar Police Station for legal proceedings under the NDPS Act.

Manipur Seizure: Three Arrested in Senapati

In Manipur, a combined team of state police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Assam Rifles operating in Senapati District arrested two drug peddlers identified as Rohim Ali (23) and Anowar Hussiain Laskar (48), both natives of Goalpara District, Assam. The team recovered 2.3 kg of methamphetamine tablets — packed in ten packets — with an estimated value of ₹1.80 crore. A Bolero vehicle and ₹5,000 cash were also seized. Following further investigation, an accomplice, Md Nawaz Khan, a resident of Mayai Leikai, Imphal, was subsequently arrested.

The Broader Narcotics Corridor Threat

Mizoram and Manipur have emerged as primary drug-trafficking corridors in the Northeast, owing to their long, porous international borders with Myanmar and their geographic proximity to the Golden Triangle — one of the world's largest illicit narcotics-producing regions. Collectively, six districts of Mizoram and five districts of Manipur share approximately 910 km of unfenced international border with Myanmar, providing smuggling networks with multiple entry points. According to an official statement, Assam Rifles remains committed to dismantling drug trafficking networks and ensuring the safety of border communities in the region.

What Happens Next

All five arrested individuals face prosecution under the NDPS Act, which carries stringent penalties including long imprisonment terms for commercial-quantity drug offences. Security forces have indicated that intelligence-based operations of this nature will continue, with sustained focus on transborder trafficking routes. The repeated interceptions at Zokhawthar and Saitual suggest law enforcement agencies are tightening their net around established smuggling channels, though experts note that sustained results will require bolstering border infrastructure along the unfenced Myanmar frontier.