87 cases filed, 112 arrested between January and September in drug trafficking crackdown in Mizoram’s Champhai

Mizoram’s Excise and Narcotics Department has registered 87 cases and arrested 112 people in connection with drug trafficking in Champhai district between January and September 2025. 

The district, which shares a border with Myanmar, continues to be a major entry point for illicit drugs entering India.

According to officials, the figures show a significant increase compared to the previous year. In 2024, only 74 cases were filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, with 95 arrests.

In addition, 304 cases were registered under the Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition) Act last year, while this year saw 174 such cases during the same nine-month period. A total of 220 people were arrested for alcohol-related offences in 2024, compared to 129 this year.

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Officials said that a major haul of drugs was seized during the operations, including 12.616 kg of heroin and 87.639 kg of methamphetamine tablets—commonly known as “crazy drugs”—which are banned in India. Over 8.7 kg of heroin and 86 kg of methamphetamine were recovered in Champhai alone in 2024.

The Excise and Narcotics Department, in collaboration with the Young Mizo Association (YMA), has intensified its campaign under “Operation Jericho” to combat cross-border drug trafficking and smuggling. The coordinated drive aims to dismantle trafficking networks and restrict the inflow of drugs from across the Myanmar border.

Authorities have confirmed that the ongoing operation will continue until December, as part of the state government’s broader mission to curb drug abuse and illegal trafficking in Mizoram.