Assam’s war on drugs: Taking the fight to Golden Triangle’s doorstep

With narcotic substances worth more than Rs 3,253 crore seized since 2021, Assam has emerged as India’s frontline in the battle against transnational drug trafficking. The recent BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies meeting in Guwahati has further underscored the strategic importance of the Northeast in combating the illicit drug trade emanating from the notorious Golden Triangle. Yet, experts caution that seizures alone cannot win a battle that is as much about organised crime, border security and public health as it is about law enforcement.

When Assam Police intercepts a consignment of heroin or methamphetamine tablets on a highway or in a border district, the seizure represents far more than another successful police operation. It is one link in a much larger struggle against transnational criminal networks whose reach extends from clandestine laboratories in Myanmar to markets across South Asia.

The figures released by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma offer a glimpse into the scale of that battle.

Since 2021, Assam has registered 16,605 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, arrested 26,537 persons and seized narcotic substances valued at more than Rs 3,253 crore. Calling the campaign Mission Assam Against Drugs, Sarma described the results as evidence of a sustained offensive driven by intelligence-based policing and coordinated enforcement.

“Our relentless war against drugs is delivering decisive results,” the Chief Minister said, reiterating the government’s resolve to continue the crackdown until organised trafficking networks are dismantled. Geography has made Assam both strategically important and uniquely vulnerable. The Northeast shares nearly 1,900 kilometres of international border with Myanmar, while the region also connects with Bangladesh, Bhutan and China. This location has transformed the region into a crucial transit corridor linking South Asia with Southeast Asia. For decades, traffickers have exploited these routes to transport heroin, opium and, increasingly, synthetic narcotics.

Much of this illicit trade originates in the Golden Triangle-the mountainous border region shared by Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. Once infamous primarily for opium cultivation, the region has in recent years evolved into one of the world’s largest production centres for methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs.

International agencies have repeatedly warned that organised criminal syndicates operating in the Golden Triangle have diversified production, expanded distribution networks and adopted increasingly sophisticated methods to evade law enforcement.

Political instability in Myanmar following the military takeover in 2021 has further aggravated the challenge. Police arrested 4,175 persons in drug-related cases in 2021. By 2025, annual arrests had risen to 4,901. During the same period, the value of narcotics seized increased from Rs 383.64 crore to Rs 473.46 crore.

The seizures include heroin, methamphetamine tablets popularly known as Yaba, cannabis and other psychotropic substances.

The narcotics problem confronting the Northeast extends well beyond trafficking. States such as Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland have witnessed growing concerns over drug abuse, particularly among young people.  Drug trafficking has also become intertwined with other forms of organised crime, including money laundering, arms smuggling and human trafficking. The recent BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies meeting held in Guwahati assumed particular significance.

The choice of Assam’s largest city as the venue reflected India’s recognition that the Northeast has become central to the regional fight against narcotics trafficking.

The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Guwahati Declaration, which calls for enhanced intelligence sharing, coordinated investigations, operational cooperation and stronger collective action against illicit drug trafficking, precursor chemicals, synthetic narcotics and transnational organised crime.

Sarma has expressed confidence that the Guwahati Declaration will complement Assam’s ongoing anti-drug campaign by strengthening cooperation against cross-border trafficking syndicates.

The writer is Deputy Director, Assam Information Centre, New Delhi. The views expressed are personal.