Assam, Mizoram [India]: Under the ‘Operation Trident’ run by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), 38 teams have raided 38 places simultaneously in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur. This action is in line with the Modi government’s zero tolerance policy against narcotics and the strategy of dismantling the entire network going beyond seizure-centric action.
Home Minister Amit Shah said on X.
Giving information about this in a post on the social media handle X platform on Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Modi government continues to crack down on drugs. Our agencies have busted an international narco-cartel in simultaneous action at 38 locations in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur. The operation led to detection of hawala transactions worth Rs 100 crore, freezing of 1,424 bank accounts and attachment of assets worth Rs 17.82 crore, he said. During the operation, 500 detonators and Rs 12 lakh in cash were seized and 18 people have been arrested.
Shri Amit Shah congratulated the Anti-Narcotics team of Central Agencies and Police Forces of the three States
Amit Shah further said that this network used to smuggle narcotics through the borders of India, Myanmar and Bangladesh through the ‘Death Triangle Corridor’. He said that this action reflects India’s determination to root out every network of narcotics by 31st December 2029. India will continue to crack down on these drug trafficking syndicates till they are completely eliminated. The Union Home Minister congratulated the Anti-Narcotics team comprising Central agencies and police forces of the three states.
In a statement on Sunday, the Home Ministry said that a massive joint operation was launched by central agencies and state police forces in the three states against international narcotics and financial syndicates. In line with the ‘Narcotics Control Vision Document (2026-2029)’, Operation Trident focuses on a new strategy to break entire networks and destroy their financial sources, rather than just seizing narcotics, thereby rooting out transnational trafficking gangs.
Operation Trident
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) led ‘Operation Trident’ on the morning of 23 October 2026. Demonstrating exceptional coordination among various agencies, the NCB established a close coordination with the Mizoram Police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to initiate comprehensive and simultaneous action to dismantle the operating mechanism and financial base of a large transnational drug trafficking syndicate. ‘Operation Trident’ is a perfect example of excellent coordination among various agencies in intelligence sharing and operation planning to target major drug traffickers and their associates in Mizoram. The operation was meticulously planned after several days of intelligence gathering, joint identification of targets and high-level meetings between Central and State enforcement agencies. The aim was to simultaneously strike at the logistics centers of the trafficking gangs and their illegal financial networks.
38 joint teams from different agencies worked together
Acting with precision strategy under the Unified Command Structure, 38 joint teams from various agencies worked together at 38 locations pre-identified in the three North Eastern States, namely Assam, Mizoram and Manipur. The coordinated action comprehensively covered major urban centres and sensitive border corridors. These included Aizawl, Champhai in Mizoram and the strategic trading town of Jokhothar on the Indo-Myanmar border. Along with this, action was also taken at the concerned locations located in the transit corridor of Churachandpur in Manipur and Cachar region of Assam. Despite the difficult geographical conditions and the operation spread over a wide area, excellent coordination between various departments was ensured. This resulted in all searches, interrogations, and financial audits being conducted simultaneously, preventing suspects from escaping or hiding illegal assets.
International smuggling racket busted
This multi-state operation is the result of continuous intelligence-based investigations conducted by the NCB, Mizoram Police, and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in cases in which the forward and backward contacts were traced to a 360-degree check of the entire network. Continuous investigations have unearthed a major international smuggling syndicate led by Myanmar-based kingpin Thang Sintuang alias Chintuang alias Tluanga. He is wanted in more than 10 cases registered under the NDPS Act in the NCB, Champhai Police, and the Mizoram Excise Department.
He operated cross-border smuggling of methamphetamine and heroin into mainland India and Bangladesh through Myanmar-Mizoram-Manipur-Assam-Tripura corridor. In the previous phases of investigation, several key pillars of this gang have been successfully neutralized, including:
Thangsintuang alias Chintuang alias Tluanga (kingpin): He was arrested from Delhi after intensive surveillance, intelligence gathering and continuous action in various states.
Vungkhanthona (key collaborator): He was a close colleague coordinating the movement and delivery of consignments coming from Myanmar. He was arrested and later detained under the draconian PIT-NDPS Act.
Lalrampari (Principal Hawala Operator): Arrested by NCB on 08.08.2024. The investigation revealed illegal hawala transactions involving this network worth approximately ₹100 crore, following which joint action was taken with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the illegally acquired assets were frozen.
Abu Saleh alias Saifuddin (Head of Logistics in Assam Corridor): Arrested on 20.11.2025 from Cachar, Assam. He was the key Indian operator coordinating the transportation of narcotics in the Assam Corridor and was associated with several cases registered under the NDPS Act.
Significantly, during this successful operation, detailed financial analysis and digital forensic investigation revealed an extensive network of associates, shell companies, and money transfer intermediaries. In view of this, a large scale coordinated action was taken under ‘Operation Trident’.
[DD news]