Mizoram-Myanmar drug corridor under lens as ED conducts multi-state raids

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 9 carried out searches at four locations across the Mizoram-Myanmar border region, the Tripura-Bangladesh border and West Bengal in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to an interstate and cross-border narcotics trafficking network.

According to officials, multiple teams from the ED's Aizawl Sub-Zonal Office launched simultaneous search operations in the early hours of Monday under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The raids were conducted at premises linked to suspects allegedly involved in the laundering of proceeds generated through drug trafficking.

The money laundering case stems from a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) investigation involving the seizure of 49.101 kilograms of methamphetamine and 40 grams of heroin in Tripura on August 21, 2025.

Officials said the locations searched in Tripura were situated around 200 metres from the Bangladesh border, while the premises searched in Mizoram were located approximately 500 metres from the Myanmar border.

Preliminary findings of the investigation have pointed to the existence of an organised transnational drug trafficking syndicate allegedly sourcing methamphetamine from Myanmar through the border sectors of Champhai and Zokhawthar before transporting the contraband to recipients in Tripura.

Investigators believe that the proceeds generated from the narcotics trade were subsequently layered and concealed through a network of multiple bank accounts and shell entities to disguise their origin and ownership.

Officials said the ED has so far identified proceeds of crime worth more than ₹142 crore during the course of the investigation.

The searches are aimed at gathering evidence related to financial transactions, identifying additional beneficiaries of the alleged syndicate and tracing the flow of illicit funds generated through the cross-border drug trade.

The operation underscores growing concerns among enforcement agencies over the use of India's northeastern border regions as transit corridors for synthetic drugs originating from Myanmar and entering domestic markets through organised trafficking networks.

The investigation remains underway, and further action is expected based on evidence collected during the searches.