Mizoram Police have seized methamphetamine tablets valued at ₹6.17 crore near Aizawl and arrested two persons accused of smuggling the contraband from Myanmar, signalling a shift in regional drug trafficking patterns.
The operation was carried out late on Wednesday amid concerns that continuing ethnic violence and security instability in neighbouring Manipur have pushed drug syndicates to increasingly divert shipments through Mizoram. The state’s geographical proximity to Myanmar and its relatively calmer law-and-order situation have made it an emerging hotspot in the cross-border narcotics network.
According to a statement issued by Mizoram Police, a CID (Special Branch) team launched a covert operation on the basis of specific intelligence. Two vehicles were intercepted along the Tuirial–Zemabawk stretch of National Highway 6, on the northeastern fringes of Aizawl.
“The vehicles, which were travelling from Champhai — a border town near Myanmar — were stopped near a Presbyterian church in Zemabawk. A thorough inspection revealed 49 bundles of methamphetamine tablets concealed within the rear linings and dashboard beams of the vehicles,” said a CID officer.
The contraband weighed a total of 47.5 kg, with 18.9 kg recovered from one vehicle and 28.5 kg from the other. Police estimate the street value of the seized meth at over ₹6.17 crore.
The two arrested drivers, both residents of the Vengthlang locality in Champhai district, have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The seized vehicles and narcotics have been handed over to the Special Narcotics Police Station in Aizawl for further investigation.
Methamphetamine, commonly known as meth, is a highly addictive stimulant affecting the central nervous system and is frequently smuggled into India via the porous Indo-Myanmar border.
With the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur hampering local enforcement efforts and creating security gaps, authorities believe drug syndicates are capitalising on Mizoram’s lesser-guarded but equally susceptible border regions. Police forces across Mizoram remain on high alert amid the rising trend.
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