The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), in a joint operation with the Arunachal Pradesh Police, seized 325.5 kg of cannabis (ganja) from West Kameng district on 20 September 2026, marking one of the largest single drug hauls from the state in recent months. One person has been arrested in connection with the seizure, carried out by troops of the 61 Battalion SSB, Bhairabkhunda.

Operation Details

The seizure follows a similar action weeks earlier, when the Assam Police recovered over 307 kg of ganja near the Assam–Arunachal Pradesh border. Together, the back-to-back hauls point to an intensifying corridor of narcotics movement through India's northeastern frontier. The coordinated nature of the latest operation — involving both central paramilitary personnel and state police — signals a more structured crackdown than the ad hoc raids that characterised earlier efforts.

Arunachal Pradesh as a Narcotics Hub

According to officials, Arunachal Pradesh has increasingly become a significant producer of illicit narcotics, including opium and cannabis. Traffickers and cultivators have historically relied on the state's remote terrain and difficult landscape to evade detection. The state government has so far destroyed 18.587 acres of illegal poppy (opium) cultivation and 64.59 acres of cannabis fields, Chief Secretary Manish Kumar Gupta said recently.

Insurgency Links and Security Concerns

'Such operations are crucial to prevent the consumption of narcotics in the strategic border state as well as their transportation elsewhere. This illegal activity is related to crime and even insurgency. There is evidence that insurgent groups promote such trade for profit. It is also a way of recruiting the youth from such states by engaging them in this trade,' an official said. The strategic dimension elevates the narcotics issue beyond a law enforcement problem, given the proximity of these states to the Golden Triangle — the notorious drug-producing region spanning Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand.

Central Coordination and Nasha Mukt Bharat Drive

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has directed all agencies to remain alert to narcotics movement through northeastern states. This is part of the broader Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, the Centre's flagship anti-narcotics campaign. Central Armed Police Forces including the SSB and Assam Rifles are now actively supporting local authorities in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura. 'There is better coordination between the state police and central forces now. Intelligence networks have been created, and there are regular crackdowns on the trafficking of narcotics. Thousands of kg of narcotics — both cultivated locally and smuggled from across the border — have been seized over the last few months. This action will continue,' the official added.

What Happens Next

Security agencies have indicated that groups involved in the narcotics racket are being systematically identified and apprehended. With intelligence networks now embedded across the northeast, officials expect the pace of seizures to continue. The arrested individual is expected to be produced before the relevant court, and investigators are likely to pursue leads connecting the consignment to broader trafficking networks.