Operation Trident: 18 arrested as agencies bust international drug cartel across northeast

Security agencies arrested 18 people and conducted simultaneous raids at 38 locations across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur on October 23 as part of Operation Trident, a crackdown on an alleged international narcotics trafficking network, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on October 25.

According to Shah, the operation exposed hawala transactions worth ₹100 crore, led to the freezing of 1,424 bank accounts and resulted in the attachment of properties valued at ₹17.82 crore. Agencies also seized 500 detonators and ₹12 lakh in cash.

In a post on X, Shah said the network trafficked narcotics across the borders of India, Myanmar and Bangladesh through what he described as the “Death Triangle Corridor”. He congratulated the anti-narcotics teams from central agencies and the police forces of the three states for carrying out the coordinated operation.

The operation is part of the Centre's efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating across India's northeastern border regions. The region's proximity to Myanmar and Bangladesh makes cross-border cooperation a key component of efforts to curb narcotics smuggling.

Shah said the operation reflected the government's commitment to eliminating drug networks by December 31, 2029. He added that the coordinated action had dealt a blow to the alleged cartel's operations.

Separately, Dhing police in Assam arrested a man allegedly found carrying a pistol and two live rounds of ammunition. Further details about the arrest and whether it is linked to Operation Trident were not immediately available.