Mizoram: 46 dead from drug abuse this financial year, heroin influx worsens

A total of 46 people, including three women, have died due to drug abuse in Mizoram during the 2024-2025 financial year up to February 13, State Excise and Narcotics Minister Lalnghinglova Hmar informed the assembly on Tuesday, March 11.

Since 1984, when the first drug-related death from heroin was recorded in the state, 1,884 people have died due to substance abuse, including 230 women, who account for 12.21% of the total fatalities.

Law enforcement agencies have seized significant quantities of narcotics between April 2024 and January 31, 2025, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The confiscated substances include 34.15 kg of heroin, 34.18 kg of methamphetamine, 329.7 kg of cannabis (ganja), 1.31 kg of nitrazepam, and 152.5 kg of cough syrup. Authorities have also booked 458 individuals for drug trafficking under the NDPS Act during the same period.

The state government is intensifying efforts to tackle the drug crisis in collaboration with civil society organizations. Officials note that until 2015, Spasmo-Proxyvon and Parvon Spas were the leading substances behind drug-related fatalities. However, heroin has since become the primary cause due to increased inflow from Myanmar and neighbouring states.

Mizoram shares a 510-km border with Myanmar and a 318-km border with Bangladesh. Additionally, it has inter-state boundaries with Assam, Manipur, and Tripura, making it a key transit point for drug trafficking.

The highest number of drug-related deaths was recorded in 2004, with 143 fatalities, including 21 women, followed by 139 deaths in 2000. Notably, no drug-related deaths were reported in 1986. Between 2015 and 2024, a total of 564 people, including 92 women, lost their lives due to heroin and other drug abuse, officials said. (With inputs from PTI)