Rs 100-crore hawala trail exposed as Op Trident hits drug cartel in Northeast states

Operation Trident targeted 38 locations across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur, leading to 18 arrests, the freezing of 1,424 bank accounts and the attachment of properties worth Rs 17.82 crore. The multi-agency crackdown also uncovered a Rs 100 crore hawala trail linked to a transnational drug trafficking network across India, Myanmar and Bangladesh.Govt's Op Trident raids 38 sites in Northeast, uncovers Rs 100 crore hawala trail (Representational image only)New Delhi,Oct 25, 2026 17:51 ISTThe Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in a major crackdown on transnational drug trafficking networks, launched ‘Operation Trident’ on Friday, October 23, conducting simultaneous raids at 38 locations across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur. The multi-agency offensive targeted the operational and financial networks of an international drug cartel involved in trafficking narcotics across the India-Myanmar-Bangladesh corridor.In a major breakthrough, the operation exposed hawala transactions worth nearly 100 crore, led to the freezing of 1,424 bank accounts, and resulted in the attachment of properties worth 17.82 crore. The agencies also seized 500 detonators and 12 lakh in cash, while 18 people were arrested.Aligned with the Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-2029), Operation Trident highlights the government's commitment to eliminating drug networks through intelligence-led investigations, inter-agency coordination and financial disruption.AMIT SHAH REAFFIRMS ZERO TOLERANCE AGAINST DRUGSUnion Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah hailed the operation, congratulating the anti-narcotics teams and police forces of the three states for their coordinated action. In a post on X, Shah said the Modi government's offensive against drugs continued with simultaneous crackdowns at 38 locations across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur on October 23, targeting an international narco-cartel.Highlighting the scale of the operation, he said the agencies had uncovered hawala transactions worth 100 crore, frozen 1,424 bank accounts, attached properties worth 17.82 crore, seized 500 detonators and 12 lakh in cash, and arrested 18 people. He also congratulated the central agencies and police forces of Assam, Mizoram and Manipur for their efforts in executing the operation.38 TEAMS STRIKE SIMULTANEOUSLY TO DISMANTLE CARTELSpearheaded by the NCB in coordination with Mizoram Police, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other enforcement agencies, Operation Trident was launched in the early hours of October 23 following extensive intelligence gathering, joint target mapping and coordinated operational planning.Under a unified command structure, 38 composite multi-agency teams simultaneously conducted searches and investigations at 38 identified locations across the three northeastern states.The operation covered key locations and border corridors, including Aizawl, Champhai and Zokhawthar in Mizoram, along with linked operational bases in Churachandpur, Manipur, and the Cachar transit corridor in Assam.The coordinated action targeted both the cartel's logistical infrastructure and its financial channels, with investigators focusing on suspected facilitators, shell entities, money mules and illicit financial transactions.The operation followed sustained intelligence-led investigations by the NCB, Mizoram Police and the ED, which uncovered the extensive reach of the transnational syndicate. Financial profiling and digital forensics conducted during earlier phases of the investigation helped investigators identify a wider network of operatives and financial intermediaries, paving the way for the simultaneous raids.CROSS-BORDER DRUG AND HAWALA NETWORK EXPOSEDInvestigations have identified Myanmar-based kingpin Thangcintuang, also known as Chintuang or Tluanga, as a key figure in the syndicate. He was wanted in more than 10 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act involving the NCB, Champhai Police and Mizoram Excise authorities, and was subsequently arrested in Delhi following inter-state surveillance and sustained follow-up operations.The cartel allegedly orchestrated the movement of methamphetamine and heroin originating in Myanmar through Mizoram, Manipur, Assam and Tripura, with onward trafficking into mainland India and Bangladesh.KEY ASSOCIATES ARRESTEDEarlier investigative breakthroughs had also led to the arrest of key associates and facilitators.Vungkhanthawna, identified as a key facilitator responsible for coordinating the movement and delivery of Myanmar-origin drug consignments, was arrested and subsequently detained under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act.Lalrampari, identified as a primary hawala operator, was arrested by the NCB on August 8, 2024. Investigations into the financial network uncovered nearly 100 crore in suspected illicit hawala transactions, prompting coordinated action with the ED and the freezing of assets linked to the alleged illegal activities.Another key operative, Abu Saleh alias Saifuddin, described as the logistics head for the Assam corridor, was arrested in Cachar on November 20, 2025. He was allegedly involved in coordinating narcotics transportation through Assam and was linked to multiple NDPS cases.These breakthroughs, supported by financial investigations and digital forensics, helped expose the cartel's wider network and laid the groundwork for Operation Trident.SCINDIA CALLS FOR NASHA MUKT BHARATUnion Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia also welcomed Operation Trident, describing it as a strong message that the Northeast would not be allowed to become a corridor for contraband.In a post on X, Scindia said the operation demonstrated the government's resolve under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Home Minister Amit Shah driving the nationwide fight against drugs.Scindia said the coordinated action was strengthening India's efforts to build a Nasha Mukt Bharat, and expressed gratitude to the officers and personnel of the central agencies and police forces of Assam, Mizoram and Manipur for their role in the operation.- Ends