Photo Courtesy: nenews
Aizawl: Drug abuse is tearing through Mizoram. In Aizawl, counselor Elin Lalawnipuii sees the fallout firsthand. She works from a basic office at the Young Mizo Association headquarters. Between April 10 and May 28, she registered 239 victims. She manages roughly 14 intakes every day. "I have registered 239 victims of drugs abuse between April 10 to May 28 this year in the state capital, Aizawl. I meet about 13 to 14 victims every day here, sometime even more," said Elin.
Victims often start with alcohol or ganja. They quickly move to heroin and methamphetamine. Joblessness and divorce drive the addiction. Recovery is rare. Easy access to illicit substances leads to frequent relapses. Commissioner of Excise and Narcotics Pu Z Lalhmangaiha reports a massive influx of substances. Over three years, officials seized 390.378 kg of heroin, 1,453.737 kg of ganja, 2,364.075 kg of meth, 86.862 kg of crystal meth, 10.687 kg of opium, 11.457 kg of tablets, and 1,457.243 kg of cough syrup.
Mizoram shares a 500-kilometer porous border with Myanmar. That border is a gateway. Myanmar manufactures vast amounts of meth and heroin. Conflicts there have turned drug production into a primary local industry. Joint Commissioner Pu Peter Zohmingthanga notes that Mizoram has become a transit hub. Consignments move through the state toward Bangladesh and Arab nations. Traffickers now operate in the shadows. They use encrypted social media apps, fake IDs, and coded language like ice or candy to bypass law enforcement. Deliveries happen at the doorstep.
The Young Mizo Association launched Operation Jericho in September 2025 to fight back. They partner with state police and narcotics officials. Prof. Malsawmliana, General Secretary of the Central Committee, coordinates 500,000 volunteers across the state. They identify smuggling routes and share intelligence. Volunteers do not carry arrest powers. Instead, they provide logistical support, rations, and rehabilitation assistance to the police. While the operation shut down traditional routes in Champhai district, traffickers have shifted tactics to use the Manipur border.
The human cost remains steep. Government records show 118 drug-related deaths in 2025. Another 21 people died by April this year. Home Minister Pu K. Sapdanga told the state assembly that Operation Jericho has netted drugs worth Rs 317.30 crore since its inception. The YMA continues to lead this fight, relying on the Mizo principle of selfless service to shield the community from organized crime.
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