The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has seized Rs 12.5 crore worth of “high-grade” heroin in Assam, intercepting a consignment trafficked from Myanmar through a sophisticated riverine route. A senior NCB official on Tuesday said the operation marked a significant breakthrough against an international drug cartel using remote waterways to evade security surveillance.
Acting on intelligence developed over several weeks, the NCB’s Guwahati Zonal Unit, in coordination with the CRPF and Assam Police, tracked the illegal consignment as it moved through dense forest corridors in Manipur before being transported via small motorboats along the Barak river. Officials said traffickers increasingly rely on river routes to bypass checkpoints, urban surveillance and security camps.
On December 1, 2025, an NCB team intercepted an indigenous motorboat on the Barak river near Silchar in Cachar district and apprehended two individuals from Assam. A detailed search of the country boat led to the recovery of 6.149 kg of high-quality heroin, cleverly concealed inside 530 soap cases and hidden beneath bamboo layers. The seized narcotics are estimated to be worth around ₹12.5 crore in the illegal market.