Assam Rifles, in a coordinated operation with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), seized 5.60 lakh methamphetamine tablets worth approximately ₹168 crore from the Jujhang Pahar area in Cachar district, southern Assam, on the night of Wednesday, 27 August. A drug peddler was arrested and a truck allegedly used to transport the contraband was also impounded, officials said on Thursday.

Scale of the Seizure

The recovered tablets weighed approximately 60 kg and are classified as Yaba — a combination of methamphetamine and caffeine widely misused as a high-dose stimulant across Bangladesh and parts of India. According to a defence spokesman, the haul is among the largest single recoveries of methamphetamine tablets in the Northeast in recent times, and officials described it as a 'record-breaking seizure.'

The Trafficking Route

The contraband is suspected to have originated in neighbouring Manipur and was being transported along National Highway 37 — the Imphal-Jiribam corridor — towards mainland India. Preliminary assessment by officials indicates that the inter-state syndicate was using Cachar and Sribhumi districts (formerly known as Karimganj) as transit corridors for onward distribution.

The Myanmar Connection

This seizure fits a well-documented pattern. Myanmar shares a 1,643-km-long unfenced international border with four northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram — and serves as a key transit point for heroin and methamphetamine entering India. Myanmar's Chin State is considered a major hub, with drugs funnelled through six districts of Mizoram, including Champhai and Lawngtlai. Five districts of Manipur — Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Kamjong, and Ukhrul — share a 398-km unfenced border with Myanmar, while Mizoram shares 510 km with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh.

What Authorities Said

'The operation further reinforces the unwavering resolve of Assam Rifles to disrupt trafficking routes, dismantle narcotics networks and safeguard the youth of the Northeast,' an official statement said. The arrested individual, the seized vehicle, and the recovered contraband have been handed over to the concerned authorities for further investigation and legal proceedings.

What Happens Next

The DRI, Silchar, is expected to lead the follow-up investigation to map the full extent of the syndicate. Given the scale and organised nature of the network — which reportedly spans multiple northeastern states — further arrests and seizures cannot be ruled out. The operation underscores the urgent need for sustained inter-agency coordination along India's porous northeastern frontier.