Northeast Drug Network Targeted: Amit Shah Praises Anti-Narcotics Operation in Three States

Operation Trident: 18 Arrested, ₹100 Crore Hawala Trail Uncovered in Northeast Drug Crackdown

A coordinated anti-narcotics offensive across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur has targeted an international drug-trafficking cartel, resulting in 18 arrests and financial seizures, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Sunday, October 25, 2026.

The operation, conducted on October 23 under Operation Trident, involved simultaneous raids at 38 locations across the three northeastern states. Investigators uncovered hawala transactions worth ₹100 crore, while authorities froze 1,424 bank accounts and attached properties valued at ₹17.82 crore.

The crackdown also led to the seizure of 500 detonators and ₹12 lakh in cash, according to Shah.

In a post on social media, the Home Minister described the operation as a major blow to international narcotics networks and praised the coordinated efforts of central agencies and police forces in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur.

Shah said the cartel was trafficking drugs across the borders of India, Myanmar and Bangladesh through what he called the “Death Triangle Corridor”.

He linked the operation to the government’s broader campaign against narcotics and reiterated the target of eliminating every drug network by December 31, 2029.

Congratulating the teams involved, Shah said the government would continue its campaign until drug cartels were dismantled. The operation’s combination of arrests, financial scrutiny and asset seizures aimed to disrupt both the trafficking routes and the alleged financial infrastructure supporting the network.

The action marks a coordinated enforcement effort in the Northeast, a region that shares international borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh and is a focus of efforts to curb cross-border drug smuggling.