Cachar (Assam): Security agencies have intercepted a major drug trafficking attempt in southern Assam, with the Assam Rifles and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seizing a heroin consignment valued at R. 3.2 crore and arresting two suspected traffickers in Cachar district.
Officials said the seizure was made during a coordinated operation launched on Wednesday night following specific intelligence inputs about narcotics movement in the district.
The joint team intercepted a vehicle on National Highway-306 and recovered the heroin consignment, leading to the arrest of two persons allegedly involved in drug peddling.
Along with the narcotics, the vehicle used to transport the contraband and a mobile phone recovered from the accused were also seized.
Authorities said a detailed investigation has been initiated to trace the wider network linked to the trafficking operation.
Cachar, along with neighbouring Sribhumi (formerly Karimganj) and Hailakandi districts, shares a long inter-state boundary with Mizoram — a route that has increasingly been exploited by traffickers due to Mizoram’s proximity to the Myanmar border.
Investigators suspect the heroin originated in Myanmar and was routed through Mizoram before being moved into Assam for distribution to other parts of the country.
Security agencies said the Assam Rifles and the DRI have been carrying out sustained and coordinated operations across the region to dismantle narcotics networks, with the latest seizure described as a significant breakthrough in ongoing anti-drug efforts.
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In a related development earlier this week, Assam Rifles personnel, in a joint operation with the Mizoram Police and the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB), recovered 3.518 kg of morphine worth Rs. 3.5 crore in Ngopa area of Saitual district in Mizoram and arrested two persons, identified as Kasim and Mukeem Ali.
The contraband was recovered after a vehicle was intercepted and thoroughly searched.
Mizoram’s long unfenced international border with Myanmar and its porous mountainous boundary with Bangladesh have made the state particularly vulnerable to cross-border smuggling.
Officials said Myanmar’s Chin state continues to function as a major source region for narcotics and other contraband, with trafficking routes passing through several districts of Mizoram, including Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual and Serchhip.
