Assam Rifles, Mizoram Police bust Rs 45 crore meth haul near Manipur border

In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, the Assam Rifles and Mizoram Police jointly seized methamphetamine tablets worth Rs 45 crore in Saitual district, close to the Manipur border, officials said on Thursday.

The operation, carried out near Ngopa village on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, led to the recovery of 15 kg of methamphetamine commonly known as “ice” or “crystal meth” from a vehicle intercepted by the security forces.

Two men from Assam’s Barpeta district were arrested during the raid, the Assam Rifles said in a statement. The seized contraband, along with the vehicle and the accused, has been handed over to the Saitual police for further investigation and legal proceedings.

Methamphetamine is a powerful and highly addictive stimulant drug banned under Indian law.

The drug usually appears as crystalline powder or tablets and is often trafficked in Southeast Asia’s “Golden Triangle” region where Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand meet before being smuggled into India’s Northeast through porous borders.

Methamphetamine is banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and possession or trafficking attracts stringent punishment, including long-term imprisonment.

The Indian government has stepped up efforts to stop drug smuggling across the country’s borders, especially in the Northeast. Security agencies like the Assam Rifles, NCB, and state police are working together to block routes used by traffickers from Myanmar and Bangladesh. Under the government’s “War on Drugs” drive, more border checks, fencing, and joint raids are being carried out to stop the entry of methamphetamine, heroin, and other illegal drugs into India.