Guwahati NCB busts Myanmar-linked drug network, seizes Rs 12.5 crore heroin via riverine route

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has seized Rs 12.5 crore worth of “high-grade” heroin in Assam, intercepting a consignment trafficked from Myanmar through a sophisticated riverine route. 

A senior NCB official on Tuesday said the operation marked a significant breakthrough against an international drug cartel using remote waterways to evade security surveillance.

Acting on intelligence developed over several weeks, the NCB’s Guwahati Zonal Unit, in coordination with the CRPF and Assam Police, tracked the illegal consignment as it moved through dense forest corridors in Manipur before being transported via small motorboats along the Barak river. Officials said traffickers increasingly rely on river routes to bypass checkpoints, urban surveillance and security camps.

On December 1, 2025, an NCB team intercepted an indigenous motorboat on the Barak river near Silchar in Cachar district and apprehended two individuals from Assam. A detailed search of the country boat led to the recovery of 6.149 kg of high-quality heroin, cleverly concealed inside 530 soap cases and hidden beneath bamboo layers. The seized narcotics are estimated to be worth around ₹12.5 crore in the illegal market.

The arrested individuals, both residents of Cachar district, will be produced before court along with the seized contraband for further legal proceedings. Preliminary investigations indicate that the heroin originated in Myanmar, moved across Manipur’s forest tracts, and was destined for the Hmarkhawlien–Fulertal–Lakhipur belt in southern Assam.

NCB officials said the riverine trafficking model used in this case reflects a growing trend of exploiting vulnerable inland waterways for cross-border drug movement. They added that dismantling this network marks a substantial success in curbing narcotics routes operating across Myanmar, Manipur and Assam.

The agency further stated that the NCB North Eastern Region has strengthened coordination among Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (DLEAs), state police forces and central armed police and border-guarding units. State-level Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meetings have already been held in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura as part of a broader strategy to reinforce anti-drug enforcement mechanisms in the Northeast.