Rs 55.52 crore in heroin, opium and cash seized in massive anti-drug operation in Manipur; 5 arrested

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 9, 2025

In one of the largest recent crackdowns on drug trafficking in Northeast India, a joint team of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Customs, Assam Rifles, and Manipur Police seized heroin, opium, and cash worth over Rs 55.52 crore during a three-day operation in Manipur’s Churachandpur district.

Codenamed Operation White Veil, the coordinated effort was carried out from June 5 to 7 in the Indo-Myanmar border areas, where drug smuggling networks have long exploited the porous terrain. The operation led to the arrest of five individuals and the recovery of 7,755.75 grams of heroin valued at Rs 54.29 crore and 6,736 grams of opium worth Rs 87.57 lakh on the international market. Authorities also seized cash totalling Rs 35.63 lakh, two Baofeng walkie-talkies, and a Maruti Eeco van used in the smuggling operation.

The operation unfolded in multiple stages. On the morning of June 6, two suspects travelling in a Maruti Eeco van were discreetly followed from Behiang village, a border settlement near Myanmar, to a house in Thadou Veng, Singngat Sub-Division. A raid on the house led to the discovery of 219 soap cases containing heroin and multiple packages of opium, along with Rs 7.58 lakh in cash and communication equipment. One suspect was apprehended on the spot, while two others who fled were intercepted shortly after at the Bualkot check gate.

Follow-up action at another house in Behiang village, linked to one of the arrested suspects, yielded two additional opium packages and Rs 28.05 lakh in cash. Based on intelligence gathered during interrogations, officials intercepted two more individuals on June 7 near Zoukhonuam Village, close to Border Pillar 46. They were carrying improvised manpacks containing 440 soap cases filled with heroin.

According to a preliminary investigation, the drugs had been smuggled into India from Myanmar through forested border routes that are difficult to monitor. Despite these operational challenges, authorities described the outcome as a significant blow to transnational drug syndicates operating in the region.

All five accused have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, which mandates stringent penalties, including up to ten years of rigorous imprisonment.

Officials noted that such large-scale seizures underscore the need for sustained joint operations and intelligence-sharing among enforcement agencies to counter drug trafficking in the Northeast, a region increasingly targeted by international drug cartels.