The ED arrested six accused and proceedings against four others are underway; 18 people were arrested in Total
In a coordinated operation by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), central agencies conducted simultaneous strikes on October 23 against transnational drug-trafficking and money-laundering networks operating across Assam, Mizoram, and Manipur. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)-led Operation Trident deployed 38 multi-agency teams to 38 locations, as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches in three related cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Coordinated with Mizoram Police. The operation targeted the logistical and financial infrastructure of syndicates transporting narcotics from Myanmar through the Death Triangle Corridor, which spans India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.
In a statement on X, Union Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah described the strikes as a severe blow to an international narco-cartel. He said the network had trafficked narcotics across the borders of India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, and affirmed that agencies would continue their efforts until the drug cartels were dismantled. The minister congratulated the central agencies and state police forces involved.
Teams covered key hubs and border corridors, including Aizawl, Champhai, and Zokhawthar, an Indo-Myanmar trading town in Mizoram; locations in Churachandpur, Manipur; and the Cachar transit corridor in Assam. The operation across the three States were designed to prevent suspects from fleeing or concealing assets. Despite the challenging terrain, searches, inquiries, and financial audits proceeded simultaneously.
The operation marked a deliberate shift from seizure-focused raids to a network-centred effort to disrupt both supply chains and illicit financing. Officials said the action aligned with the Vision Document for Drug Control (2026-2029) and the Government’s zero-tolerance policy, which aims to eradicate organised drug networks by December 31, 2029.
In the days before the strikes, agencies shared intelligence and mapped targets, enabling them to operate under a unified command structure.
The operation resulted in physical seizures and substantial financial measures. Investigators identified hawala transactions valued at Rs 100 crore.
The ED froze 1,424 bank accounts and provisionally attached properties worth Rs 17.82 crore, bringing the total value of secured assets to more than Rs 26 crore. Authorities also seized 500 detonators and Rs 12 lakh in cash. Authorities arrested 18 people in the broader operation. The ED arrested six accused, while proceedings against four others are underway.
The ED’s involvement under the PMLA underscored the focus on disrupting the financial networks that sustain trafficking. By freezing accounts and attaching properties linked to the three money-laundering cases, investigators sought to deprive the syndicates of proceeds used to finance further operations. The seizure of detonators alongside cash indicated that the investigation also covered related illicit activity.