Assam: NCB seizes Rs 12.5 cr heroin consignment smuggled via Barak River

Guwahati: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has intercepted a high-value heroin consignment worth approximately Rs 12.5 crore in Assam, trafficked from Myanmar through a complex riverine route, officials said.

A senior NCB officer on Tuesday described the operation as a major breakthrough against an international drug network exploiting remote waterways to evade law enforcement surveillance.

Acting on weeks of intelligence, the NCB’s Guwahati Zonal Unit, in collaboration with the CRPF and Assam Police, tracked the illegal shipment as it moved through dense forests in Manipur before being transported on small motorboats along the Barak River. Authorities noted that traffickers increasingly rely on river routes to avoid checkpoints, urban monitoring, and security camps.

On December 1, 2025, the NCB intercepted an indigenous motorboat near Silchar in Cachar district. Two individuals from Assam were arrested during the operation. A thorough search of the vessel revealed 6.149 kg of high-grade heroin, cleverly hidden inside 530 soap cases and covered with bamboo layers.

The arrested suspects, both residents of Cachar district, will be presented in court along with the seized narcotics. Initial investigations indicate the heroin originated in Myanmar, passed through Manipur’s forest corridors, and was intended for the Hmarkhawlien–Fulertal–Lakhipur belt in southern Assam.

NCB officials further highlighted that the riverine trafficking pattern underscores a growing trend of smugglers exploiting inland waterways for cross-border drug transport. They said dismantling this network represents a significant step in curbing narcotics movement across Myanmar, Manipur, and Assam.

The agency also emphasized enhanced coordination among Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (DLEAs), state police, and central armed and border-guarding forces. State-level Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meetings have been conducted in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Tripura to strengthen anti-drug enforcement strategies in the Northeast.