New Myanmar-Arunachal-Tinsukia drug corridor a worrying signal for Upper Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday, August 26 flagged the emergence of a new drug trafficking corridor from Myanmar through Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district to Tinsukia in Assam, describing the development as a matter of concern for Upper Assam.

Speaking to the media, Sarma said the state has intensified its crackdown on narcotics and has seized significant quantities of drugs in recent weeks. He cited a major seizure in Guwahati involving a consignment valued at nearly Rs 80 crore, which, according to him, was allegedly being prepared for transportation to Punjab.

“We are continuously seizing drugs. But this is a very big milestone,” Sarma said, referring to the recent seizures. He said the scale of the recovery illustrated the volume of narcotics that could potentially enter the drug network if enforcement efforts were not intensified.

The Chief Minister said the state government and law enforcement agencies were making continuous efforts to shut down established drug trafficking routes.

However, he said a new corridor had emerged in recent days, with narcotics allegedly being transported from Myanmar through Changlang in Arunachal Pradesh and subsequently into Tinsukia in Assam.

“Earlier, drugs used to come through the Mizoram-Myanmar and Manipur-Myanmar routes. Drugs were not coming through the Arunachal-Myanmar border. However, in the last few days, we have seized drugs in Tinsukia,” Sarma said.

According to the Chief Minister, information provided by arrested drug peddlers has indicated that the narcotics seized in Tinsukia may have entered Assam through Changlang.

Sarma said the development was a “very worrying signal” for Upper Assam and underlined the need for sustained enforcement along the emerging corridor.

The Chief Minister has in recent weeks repeatedly highlighted the seizure of narcotics across Assam as part of the state's intensified anti-drug campaign. The latest disclosure points to growing concern among enforcement agencies over the possible diversification of trafficking routes following increased action along traditional corridors.

Authorities are now expected to step up surveillance and enforcement measures along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border and in vulnerable areas of Upper Assam to prevent the emerging route from becoming an established narcotics corridor.