Photo Courtesy: nenews
Aizawl: Assam Rifles and Mizoram Police busted a massive drug smuggling ring in Saitual district. They seized heroin valued at 12.09 crore in two separate operations on Tuesday. Officials acted on intelligence from a sister agency to intercept the contraband. It is a win for regional security.
The first bust occurred when forces stopped a vehicle and found 1.180 kg of heroin packed into 109 soap cases. Smugglers hid the stash in a secret compartment behind the rear number plate. This haul alone carried an estimated value of 8.85 crore. The joint team took both the drugs and the vehicle into custody.
A second sweep in the same area nabbed 57-year-old Devendra Singh of Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Officers recovered 432 grams of heroin hidden in 40 soap cases. Those drugs carried a street value of 3.24 crore. The SpearCorps of the Indian Army stated, "Strengthening the fight against narcotics trafficking in the Northeast India, #AssamRifles under #SpearCorps, in intelligence led joint operations with #Mizoram Police."
Authorities handed the suspects and seized vehicles over to the Mizoram Police. They now face charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985. Mizoram remains a hot spot for trafficking. The state shares long, unfenced borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh. Drugs often flow from Myanmar's Chin State through transit hubs like Saitual, Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, and Serchhip. Security forces continue to patrol these corridors to dismantle supply lines.
Updated at 18th August 2026 at 9:51pm
The operation in Saitual specifically targeted the Ngopa area. In the first instance, the suspect operating the vehicle was placed under arrest.
Meanwhile, authorities in Khawzawl district burned through a massive cache of narcotics on August 18. Officials destroyed drugs worth over 4.13 crore seized between April and June, including 1.97 kg of methamphetamine and 1.28 kg of heroin. These burns stem from 15 cases involving 17 arrests.
Khawzawl District Superintendent of Police F Lalbiakzauva credited the Young Mizo Association and the Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl for their legwork in backing state anti-drug efforts. Khawzawl police have booked 39 people in 26 cases this year, pushing the district's total seizure value to 18.53 crore. That number dwarfs the 2025 totals, which saw only 12 cases and 2.36 crore in narcotics confiscated.
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