Guwahati: The Narcotics Control Bureau has busted an international drug trafficking network and seized Rs. 12.5 crore worth of high-grade heroin smuggled into Assam through a river route from Myanmar, officials said on Tuesday.
The NCB’s Guwahati Zonal Unit, acting on intelligence gathered over several weeks, launched a joint operation with the CRPF and Assam Police to track a consignment being moved through dense forest corridors in Manipur before being ferried on small motorboats along the Barak river to evade checkpoints.
On December 1, officers intercepted an indigenous motorboat on the Barak river near Silchar in Cachar district and detained two residents of the area.
A search of the vessel led to the recovery of 6.149 kg of heroin packed in 530 soap cases and concealed beneath bamboo layers.
Investigators believe the consignment originated in Myanmar and was headed towards the Hmarkhawlien–Fulertal–Lakhipur belt.
Officials said traffickers increasingly rely on riverine pathways to bypass surveillance systems, police posts and security camps — a trend the agency views as a growing challenge in the Northeast.
The NCB said the seizure has dealt a major blow to an international cartel operating across the Myanmar–Manipur–Assam route.
The arrested duo will be produced in court along with the seized contraband.
Officials added that the NCB’s North Eastern Region office has stepped up coordination with state police, Drug Law Enforcement Agencies and central armed forces.
Joint Coordination Committee meetings have recently been held for Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura to strengthen the regional response to trafficking networks.
