Assam to intensify anti-drug crackdown over next 5 years: CM Himanta Sarma
Synopsis
Assam has destroyed ₹472.51 crore worth of seized narcotics in a single state-wide drive — its largest disposal exercise yet — as CM Himanta Biswa Sarma vowed five more years of intensified crackdowns. With 3,300 NDPS cases and ₹3,227 crore in seizures already on the books, the campaign signals Assam's bid to break its role as a Myanmar-to-India drug highway.
Key Takeaways
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the Drugs Disposal Campaign on 12 July at the 14th Assam Police Battalion campus, Nalbari .
Contraband worth ₹472.51 crore — including 58.88 kg heroin , 38,000 kg ganja , and 18.71 lakh methamphetamine and Yaba tablets — is being destroyed over 10 days .
A specialised drug disposal machine, provided with Central government assistance, was used in Assam for the first time.
Assam Police registered 3,300 NDPS Act cases and seized narcotics worth ₹3,227 crore in the past five years.
Sarma identified Assam as a transit corridor for narcotics smuggled from Myanmar and called for coordinated action with Manipur , Mizoram , and West Bengal .
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday, 12 July pledged to sharply escalate the state's war on drug trafficking over the next five years, stating that coordinated action among northeastern states could permanently end Assam's role as a transit corridor for narcotics. The declaration came as the state launched a sweeping Drugs Disposal Campaign, destroying seized contraband worth ₹472.51 crore in a single exercise spanning all districts.
Campaign Launch and Destruction Drive
Chief Minister Sarma inaugurated the campaign at the 14th Assam Police Battalion campus at Doulashal in Nalbari district, formally launching the destruction process by crushing seized narcotics with a road roller. A specialised drug disposal machine — installed with assistance from the Central government — was pressed into service for the first time in Assam. Similar disposal drives were conducted simultaneously across all districts of the state.
Sarma said the destruction process would take approximately 10 days to complete, given the scale of the stockpile accumulated from operations across the state.
Scale of Seized Contraband
According to official figures, the disposal exercise covers 58.88 kg of heroin, nearly 38,000 kg of ganja, around 2.29 lakh bottles of cough syrup, 39 kg of morphine, approximately 18.71 lakh methamphetamine and Yaba tablets, and nearly 4.97 lakh tablets and capsules. The destroyed substances also include opium and other banned materials.
Five Years of Enforcement: The Numbers
Sarma highlighted that Assam Police has registered 3,300 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act over the past five years, with total seizures valued at ₹3,227 crore. The Chief Minister said the government would now adopt even more stringent measures against traffickers while urging citizens to actively support the anti-narcotics drive.
Assam as a Transit Corridor: The Larger Threat
Sarma described Assam as a key transit route for heroin, methamphetamine, and Yaba tablets smuggled from Myanmar into other parts of the country. He stressed the need for stronger intelligence gathering, greater use of technology, and enhanced inter-state coordination to disrupt these supply chains.
He specifically called for sustained cooperation among Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and West Bengal, arguing that collective action combined with stringent punishment for offenders could significantly curb the regional drug trade. Notably, this push comes as the Myanmar-origin narcotics pipeline — routed through India's northeast — has drawn increasing attention from central security agencies.
What Comes Next
With the specialised disposal machine now operational and district-level drives underway, Assam's enforcement framework is set to be reinforced with technology and inter-state intelligence-sharing mechanisms. The next five years will test whether the state's record seizure numbers translate into a durable reduction in narcotics flow through the northeast corridor.
Point of View
227 crore in five years — but the more significant question is whether enforcement alone can sever a supply chain rooted in Myanmar's volatile border economy. The northeast corridor is structurally exposed: porous borders, limited economic alternatives for border communities, and inter-state coordination that has historically been reactive rather than proactive. Sarma's call for a four-state alliance is the right instinct, but without a formal intelligence-sharing architecture and Centre-backed border management, the drug pipeline adapts faster than disposal drives can keep up. The real metric to watch is not seizure value but street-level availability — a number that rarely makes it into official press releases.
NationPress
12 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Assam Drugs Disposal Campaign launched on 12 July 2025?
It is a state-wide drive to destroy narcotic substances worth ₹472.51 crore seized by Assam Police across various operations. The campaign was launched by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma at the 14th Assam Police Battalion campus in Nalbari district, with simultaneous disposal drives held in all districts of the state.
How much contraband is being destroyed and what does it include?
The disposal covers 58.88 kg of heroin, nearly 38,000 kg of ganja, around 2.29 lakh bottles of cough syrup, 39 kg of morphine, approximately 18.71 lakh methamphetamine and Yaba tablets, and nearly 4.97 lakh tablets and capsules, among other banned substances. The entire process is expected to take around 10 days.
What has Assam Police achieved under the NDPS Act in the last five years?
Assam Police registered 3,300 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act over the past five years and seized narcotics valued at ₹3,227 crore. CM Sarma said the government will now adopt even stricter measures going forward.
Why is Assam described as a drug transit corridor?
Assam sits along a key smuggling route for heroin, methamphetamine, and Yaba tablets trafficked from Myanmar into other parts of India. Its geographic position in the northeast, bordering multiple states and countries, makes it a natural passage point for narcotics moving westward.
Which states has CM Sarma called on to coordinate anti-drug efforts?
Sarma specifically named Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and West Bengal as states whose sustained cooperation — combined with stronger intelligence sharing and stringent punishment — could significantly curb the regional drug trade.
