NCB arrests Myanmar drug kingpin in Delhi, busts ₹115 crore narcotics network
Synopsis
The NCB's arrest of Myanmar-based kingpin Thancintuang in Delhi is not just another drug bust — it exposes a ₹115 crore transnational network that ran hawala operations worth ₹100 crore and stretched from Myanmar through four northeastern states into Bangladesh. With the ED now in the picture and assets being frozen, this could be the most significant financial takedown of a Northeast drug syndicate in recent years.
Key Takeaways
The NCB arrested Myanmar-based drug kingpin Thancintuang (alias Chintuang) from New Delhi on 17 May 2026 .
The syndicate allegedly trafficked methamphetamine and heroin worth around ₹115 crore across the Myanmar-Mizoram-Manipur-Assam-Tripura corridor and into Bangladesh.
Hawala transactions of nearly ₹100 crore linked to the network have been referred to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) .
Chintuang is linked to 12 NDPS cases across multiple states; his arrest is the seventh apprehension in the 2024 Agartala Zone case.
In 2025 , the NCB registered 48 NDPS cases in the Northeast, arresting 116 traffickers and seizing narcotics worth ₹665 crore .
This is the second major Myanmar-based drug supplier arrested by the NCB in 2026 .
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested a key Myanmar-based drug trafficker from New Delhi, dismantling a transnational narcotics syndicate allegedly responsible for smuggling methamphetamine and heroin worth around ₹115 crore across the India-Myanmar border into multiple northeastern states and Bangladesh. The agency announced the arrest on Sunday, 17 May, describing it as a major breakthrough in its intensified campaign against drug kingpins operating from outside India.
Who Was Arrested
The prime accused, identified as Thancintuang, alias Chintuang, alias Tluanga, was allegedly one of the most significant traffickers operating along the Myanmar-Mizoram-Manipur-Assam-Tripura corridor. According to the NCB, he organised cross-border trafficking networks that routed narcotic consignments through Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, and Tripura to different parts of India and into Bangladesh.
Chintuang was wanted in multiple cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act — including two cases registered by the NCB itself, two cases by Champhai Police in Mizoram in 2025, and six cases by the Mizoram Excise and Narcotics Department in 2023. He was the prime accused in a 2024 Agartala Zone case involving the seizure of 14 kg of methamphetamine tablets and 2.8 kg of heroin, and in a 2025 Agartala Zone case involving the seizure of 49.1 kg of methamphetamine tablets, in which nine traffickers had already been arrested.
Key Developments in the Investigation
The NCB's operation was the result of extensive surveillance, intelligence gathering, and interstate coordination. Investigators identified and arrested several associates of the syndicate in the months preceding Chintuang's arrest.
Vungkhanthawna, described as a close associate and key logistics facilitator, was arrested and found involved in an additional NDPS case registered by Mizoram Police. Proceedings under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act were initiated against him.
Lalrampari, allegedly a major hawala operator handling proceeds from the syndicate's trafficking activities, was arrested on 8 August 2024. Investigations revealed hawala transactions amounting to nearly ₹100 crore linked to the network, following which the matter was referred to the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Authorities also froze properties suspected to have been acquired through drug trafficking proceeds.
Abu Saleh, alias Saifuddin, from Assam's Cachar district, was arrested on 20 November 2025 as a major Indian operative and logistics coordinator. Another accused, Jabrul from Assam's Karimganj district, was arrested on 3 December 2025 along with an additional consignment of narcotics, and is said to have played a key role in interstate trafficking through the Tripura-Assam route.
Scale of the Syndicate
According to investigators, the network was highly organised, spanning international and interstate borders and using multiple trafficking routes, local facilitators, transport coordinators, hawala channels, and financial handlers. Chintuang is linked to seven NDPS cases associated with the Myanmar-Mizoram-Tripura-Assam corridor and is suspected to be involved in five additional cases connected to the Myanmar-Manipur-Assam route. His arrest is the seventh apprehension in the 2024 Agartala Zone case.
The NCB has initiated comprehensive financial investigations to identify and attach assets generated through illicit trafficking under both the NDPS Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Multiple bank accounts linked to the accused have been temporarily frozen.
NCB's Northeast Enforcement Record
The agency noted that Chintuang's arrest marks the second major Myanmar-based drug supplier apprehended by the NCB in 2026. This comes amid a broader enforcement push in the Northeast: in 2025, the NCB registered 48 NDPS cases in the region, arresting 116 traffickers and seizing narcotics valued at around ₹665 crore in the illicit market. So far in 2026, the agency has registered 31 NDPS cases and arrested 54 traffickers.
With financial investigations ongoing and the ED now involved, authorities are expected to pursue asset attachment proceedings that could extend well beyond the individuals already in custody.
Point of View
But for what it reveals about the financial architecture of Northeast India's narcotics trade — a ₹100 crore hawala layer that the ED is now chasing. The NCB's decision to involve both the ED and PMLA proceedings signals a shift from seizure-focused enforcement to asset-stripping, which is the only strategy that truly disrupts organised trafficking. Yet the corridor itself — Myanmar to Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Tripura — has been flagged repeatedly, and Chintuang's network allegedly ran undetected across 12 NDPS cases over multiple years. That timeline raises hard questions about intelligence-sharing gaps between state police, the NCB, and border agencies that no single arrest can answer.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Thancintuang, the drug kingpin arrested by the NCB?
Thancintuang, also known as Chintuang or Tluanga, is a Myanmar-based drug trafficker arrested by the NCB from New Delhi on 17 May 2026. He was allegedly a major supplier of methamphetamine tablets and heroin smuggled from Myanmar into India through the northeastern states, and is linked to illicit drug trafficking networks valued at around ₹115 crore.
What is the scale of the narcotics network busted by the NCB?
The syndicate allegedly operated across the Myanmar-Mizoram-Manipur-Assam-Tripura corridor and extended into Bangladesh. It used multiple trafficking routes, hawala channels worth nearly ₹100 crore, and local facilitators. Chintuang is linked to 12 NDPS cases across multiple states and agencies.
What drugs were seized in cases linked to Chintuang?
Chintuang was the prime accused in a 2024 Agartala Zone case involving 14 kg of methamphetamine tablets and 2.8 kg of heroin, and a 2025 Agartala Zone case involving 49.1 kg of methamphetamine tablets. His network primarily trafficked methamphetamine and heroin from Myanmar.
What financial action has been taken against the syndicate?
The NCB has referred hawala transactions of nearly ₹100 crore to the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Multiple bank accounts linked to the accused have been temporarily frozen, and authorities have initiated proceedings under the NDPS Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to identify and attach assets.
How active has the NCB been in the Northeast against drug trafficking?
In 2025, the NCB registered 48 NDPS cases in the Northeast, arresting 116 traffickers and seizing narcotics worth around ₹665 crore. So far in 2026, the agency has registered 31 NDPS cases and arrested 54 traffickers. Chintuang's arrest is the second major Myanmar-based drug supplier apprehended in 2026.
