Anti-narcotics agencies dismantled an international narco-cartel operating across Assam, Mizoram, and Manipur under Operation Trident, arresting 18 people and exposing hawala transactions worth ₹100 crore, the Centre announced on Sunday, 25 October 2026. The coordinated strike — executed on 23 October — targeted 38 locations simultaneously across the three northeastern states and marks one of the largest multi-agency anti-drug operations in the region in recent years.

Scale of the Operation

Authorities froze 1,424 bank accounts and attached properties valued at ₹17.82 crore in connection with the cartel's financial network. Agencies also seized 500 detonators and ₹12 lakh in cash during the raids. The sweep was carried out jointly by central agencies and the police forces of all three states, underscoring the multi-tiered coordination involved.

The Death Triangle Corridor

According to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the dismantled network trafficked narcotics across the borders of India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh through what he described as the 'Death Triangle Corridor' — a cross-border drug-smuggling route long identified as a key artery for narcotics flowing into India's northeast. The cartel's simultaneous financial and logistical footprint across three states signals a sophisticated operation with deep regional roots. This comes amid the Centre's intensifying crackdown on drug networks linked to insurgent financing and cross-border crime.

What the Home Minister Said

Shah announced the operation's success in a post on X, framing it as part of a broader national mission. 'Modi Govt deals another lethal blow against drugs with Operation Trident,' he wrote. He further stated: 'The offensive attests to India's Himalayan resolve to realise the mission of eradicating every drug network by 31 December 2029. India will hammer until the last nail is driven into the coffin of drug cartels.' He also congratulated the anti-narcotics personnel from central agencies and state police forces involved in the operation.

The 2029 Drug-Free India Target

Operation Trident is the latest action under a wider counter-narcotics roadmap announced by the Home Ministry. Speaking at the Police Commemoration Day in New Delhi on 21 October 2026, Shah had declared that the Centre would wage a sustained, united fight against drugs through 2027, 2028, and 2029, with a target of making India drug-free by 31 December 2029. He described the drug problem as hollowing out future generations, burdening the economy, and financially supporting anti-national organisations — placing it above even tackling what he called the 'three hotspots' in terms of national priority.

Significance and What Comes Next

Notably, the Northeast has historically been one of India's most drug-vulnerable corridors due to its porous international borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh. The financial scale of the seizures — particularly the hawala network and the volume of frozen accounts — suggests investigators may be tracking further nodes in the cartel's supply chain. Experts and law enforcement observers will be watching whether the arrests lead to prosecutions that hold, given past challenges in converting large-scale busts into lasting disruptions of trafficking networks. The Centre is expected to intensify operations in the region through the remainder of 2026.