₹100 crore hawala transactions uncovered; 1,424 bank accounts frozen, properties worth ₹17.82 crore attached
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in coordination with state police and other central agencies, launched a major multi-state crackdown on October 23, targeting 38 locations across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur under ‘Operation Trident’ to dismantle a transnational drug trafficking network.
The operation involved 38 multi-agency teams conducting simultaneous searches at 38 identified locations, targeting the operational and financial networks of a cartel allegedly involved in trafficking methamphetamine and heroin across international borders.
According to the information released, the operation resulted in the arrest of 18 people, the freezing of 1,424 bank accounts, the attachment of properties worth ₹17.82 crore and the seizure of 500 detonators and ₹12 lakh in cash. Investigations also uncovered hawala transactions worth nearly ₹100 crore linked to the network.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah, in a post on X, said the government’s crackdown on drugs continued with simultaneous action across the three northeastern states, describing the operation as a major strike against an international narco-cartel.
Shah said the operation had exposed extensive illicit financial transactions and praised the anti-narcotics teams, central agencies and police forces of Assam, Mizoram and Manipur for their coordinated efforts.
He said the network had trafficked narcotics across India, Myanmar and Bangladesh through what he described as the “Death Triangle Corridor”. He also reiterated the government’s stated mission of eradicating drug networks by December 31, 2029.
Coordinated multi-agency operation
The NCB spearheaded Operation Trident in the early hours of October 23, coordinating with Mizoram Police, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other enforcement agencies.
The operation followed days of intelligence sharing, joint target mapping and tactical planning among central and state agencies. It was designed to simultaneously target the cartel’s logistics networks and suspected illicit financial channels, preventing suspects from evading investigators or concealing assets.
The searches covered key urban centres and border areas, including Aizawl, Champhai and Zokhawthar along the India-Myanmar border in Mizoram, as well as linked operational bases in Churachandpur, Manipur, and the Cachar transit corridor in Assam.
Despite difficult terrain and the wide geographical spread of the targets, the agencies coordinated searches, enquiries and financial investigations under a unified operational framework.
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Investigation exposes cross-border network
Operation Trident emerged from sustained investigations by the NCB, Mizoram Police and the ED into suspected transnational drug trafficking and associated financial activities.
According to the investigation details, the network was allegedly led by Myanmar-based Thangcintuang, also known as Chintuang or Tluanga, who was wanted in more than 10 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act involving the NCB, Champhai Police and Mizoram Excise authorities.
Investigators alleged that the syndicate coordinated the cross-border movement of methamphetamine and heroin through the Myanmar-Mizoram-Manipur-Assam-Tripura corridor, with consignments allegedly destined for markets in mainland India and Bangladesh.
Earlier phases of the investigation had led to the arrest of several alleged key operatives. Thangcintuang was arrested in Delhi following inter-state surveillance and intelligence-led operations, according to the agency’s account.
Vungkhanthawna, described as a key facilitator responsible for coordinating the movement and delivery of consignments originating in Myanmar, was also arrested and subsequently detained under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act.
Lalrampari, identified as the network’s alleged primary hawala operator, was arrested by the NCB on August 8, 2024. Investigations reportedly traced nearly ₹100 crore in hawala transactions linked to the network, prompting joint action with the ED and measures to freeze suspected illicit assets.
Another alleged operative, Abu Saleh, also known as Saifuddin, was arrested in Cachar, Assam, on November 20, 2025. He was described as a key logistics coordinator responsible for the movement of narcotics through the Assam corridor and was linked by investigators to multiple NDPS cases.
Focus on financial disruption
The NCB said detailed financial profiling and digital forensic analysis of evidence gathered during earlier investigations revealed a wider network of alleged facilitators, shell entities and money mules. These findings led to the coordinated searches under Operation Trident.
The operation reflects a shift towards a network-centric approach to narcotics enforcement, moving beyond drug seizures to target the financial structures, logistics and wider support systems sustaining transnational trafficking syndicates.
The crackdown is also aligned with the Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-2029), which emphasises financial disruption and coordinated action against organised drug networks.
The agencies’ investigation and follow-up action are expected to focus on identifying further links, tracing suspected proceeds of crime and dismantling the remaining operational and financial structures of the network.
