Major Drug Bust in Assam: NCB Seizes Heroin Worth ₹12.5 Crore

Significant Drug Interception in Cachar

Guwahati, Dec 2: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has made a substantial breakthrough against an international drug trafficking network, seizing heroin valued at ₹12.5 crore in Fulertal, Lakhipur. This operation intercepted a shipment believed to have originated from Myanmar.

Officials have characterized this operation as a critical disruption of a drug trafficking route that spans the Myanmar–Manipur–Assam corridor.

According to a senior official from the NCB, the operation commenced on December 1 when agents from the Guwahati unit intercepted a local motorboat on the Barak River, apprehending two suspects from the Cachar district.

Following months of intelligence gathering, the NCB collaborated with the CRPF and Assam Police to monitor the illegal shipment as it navigated through dense forests in Manipur before being transported via small boats along the Barak River to avoid detection.

A thorough search of the motorboat revealed 6.149 kg of high-grade heroin concealed within 530 soap cases, cleverly hidden beneath layers of bamboo to evade authorities.

Initial investigations indicate that the shipment was sourced from Myanmar and was destined for the Hmarkhawlien–Fulertal–Lakhipur area in southern Assam.

“Traffickers are increasingly utilizing river routes to circumvent urban surveillance, police checkpoints, and security camps. This operation underscores a rising trend of exploiting vulnerable waterways for cross-border drug trafficking,” the NCB official stated.

The NCB's North Eastern Region unit is enhancing collaboration with Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (DLEAs), state police, and central armed forces to bolster their interdiction strategies.

Senior officials have reported that recent state-level Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meetings have taken place in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Tripura to combat trafficking in the region.