NCB Guwahati dismantles international drug trafficking network; 6.149 kg heroin seized in riverine raid

Guwahati (Assam) [India], December 2 : The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of Guwahati Zonal Unit has busted an international drug trafficking network operating across Myanmar, Manipur and Assam, seizing 6.149 kg of heroin in a joint operation near Silchar.
Acting on specific intelligence developed over an extended period, NCB teams tracked a heroin consignment moving through dense forest corridors along the Myanmar-Manipur border. To avoid conventional highway surveillance and police checkpoints, traffickers allegedly used small motorboats on the Barak River.
On December 1, an NCB team, working with the 147th Battalion of the CRPF and receiving crucial assistance from Silchar Police, intercepted an indigenous motorboat on the Barak River. Two individuals, Jacob Hmar and Melodi Hmar, were detained. A thorough search of the vessel led to the recovery of 6.149 kg of high-grade heroin packed in 530 soap cases and concealed beneath bamboo layers. Officials estimate the value of the seized consignment at around Rs 12.5 crore.
According to preliminary findings, the shipment originated in Myanmar and was headed towards the Hmarkhawlien-Fulertal-Lakhipur belt in Cachar district, a corridor increasingly exploited by traffickers due to its challenging terrain and access to riverine routes. Both accused will be produced in court along with the seized narcotics as further investigation continues.
The NCB said the operation reflects the evolving trafficking patterns in the Northeast, where river systems are being leveraged to bypass security forces deployed on highways and urban entry points.
The agency has significantly strengthened its footprint in the region in recent years. After the establishment of the North Eastern Regional Headquarters in September 2023, along with new Zonal Units in Agartala, Itanagar and Siliguri, and the upgradation of Imphal, operational output has risen sharply.
In 2025 alone, up to December 1, NCB has registered 43 NDPS cases, arrested 93 persons and seized over 530 kg of methamphetamine and 31 kg of heroin valued at Rs 487 crores. In Assam, 14 cases were registered this year, with 31 arrests and narcotics worth Rs 105 crore seized.
NCB has also intensified coordination with State Police, CAPFs and border-guarding forces, and convened Joint Coordination Committee meetings and a Regional ANTF Conference to enhance real-time intelligence sharing across the Northeast.