Daijiworld Media Network - Aizawl/Agartala

Aizawl/Agartala, Sep 24: In a major crackdown on cross-border narcotics smuggling, the Assam Rifles seized heroin worth approximately Rs 11.40 crore in Mizoram's Champhai district and arrested three suspected drug peddlers, including a woman, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Acting on intelligence inputs regarding drug trafficking activities, Assam Rifles troops launched an operation late Tuesday night in the World Bank Road area near Zokhawthar, a border town close to Myanmar. During the operation, the personnel noticed three individuals suspiciously searching for a hidden package. All three were detained on the spot.

A subsequent search led to the recovery of 1.377 kg of heroin, estimated to be worth Rs 11.40 crore in the international market. The accused have been identified as:

• Zarzosanga
• Joseph Lalmuansanga
• Malsawmkimi (female)

The apprehended individuals, along with the seized contraband, were handed over to the Customs and Narcotics Department for further investigation and legal action under relevant laws.

Officials said the drugs originated from Myanmar, which shares a 1,643 km-long porous and unfenced border with four northeastern states: Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh. Myanmar’s Chin State is a known hub for illegal trafficking of heroin, methamphetamine tablets, and exotic wildlife, making Mizoram’s border districts — Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip — vulnerable to smuggling activities.

Meanwhile, in Tripura, Chief Minister Manik Saha informed the state assembly on Tuesday that law enforcement agencies have made significant progress in their anti-narcotics operations. Over the last three financial years — 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25 — a total of:

• 2,729 drug peddlers have been arrested
• 248 individuals have been detained for illegal drug consumption
• 28 peddlers are currently absconding

In a written reply to questions raised by Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman and CPI(M) legislator Sudip Sarkar, CM Saha, who also holds the Home portfolio, noted that the conviction rate under the NDPS Act has been:

• 11.7% in 2022 and 2023
• 5% so far in 2024

The Chief Minister further added that, as per court directives, the High-Level and State-Level Drug Disposal Committees have destroyed and incinerated seized narcotics at designated sites across the state.

The dual developments from Mizoram and Tripura underscore the persistent threat of drug trafficking networks operating along India’s eastern borders, and the intensified efforts by security forces and state governments to dismantle them.