DRI Seizes Heroin and Methamphetamine Worth Rs. 23.5 Crore in North-East Operations; Four Arrested.
New Delhi:
In a continued offensive against narcotics trafficking in the North Eastern Region, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), in coordination with the Assam Rifles, has seized contraband drugs valued at approximately Rs. 23.5 crore in two high-stakes operations conducted in Manipur and Assam.
The first operation was carried out on May 21, 2025, near Noney, Manipur, along National Highway 37. Acting on intelligence inputs, the DRI, with assistance from the 19 BN Assam Rifles, intercepted a truck and uncovered 569 grams of heroin and 1,039 grams of methamphetamine tablets. The drugs were ingeniously hidden in a specially fabricated cavity on the vehicle’s chassis, a method commonly employed by traffickers to evade detection.
In a second operation just a day later on May 22, 2025, the DRI, aided by the Field Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Assam Rifles in Silchar, intercepted another truck at Aloicherra in Hailakandi district, Assam. Upon inspection, officials discovered 2,640.53 grams of heroin concealed within a custom-built cavity in the truck’s bedload floor.
Both seizures were made under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and have led to the arrest of four individuals suspected to be involved in organized drug trafficking networks operating across the region.
The seized drugs are believed to have originated from the infamous Golden Triangle region and were likely en route to other parts of the country or for international distribution through trafficking syndicates.
According to the DRI, these twin operations are part of a broader strategy to clamp down on the rising trend of narcotics smuggling in the North East, which has become a critical transit hub due to its proximity to international borders.
So far in 2025 alone, the DRI has seized contraband including ganja, methamphetamine tablets, and heroin worth Rs. 173 crore, and arrested 26 individuals in connection with these illicit activities in the region.
Authorities reaffirmed their commitment to eradicating drug trafficking networks and disrupting supply chains with the support of local enforcement units and inter-agency collaboration.
These successful interdictions underscore the increasing vigilance and coordination among India’s narcotics enforcement agencies, especially in border-sensitive zones like the North Eastern states.
