In a major crackdown on an alleged international narcotics trafficking network, security agencies conducted simultaneous raids at 38 locations across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur under Operation Trident on October 23, arresting 18 people and uncovering suspected hawala transactions worth ₹100 crore.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the details of the operation on October 25, describing the action as a significant step towards dismantling cross-border drug trafficking networks operating in India's Northeast.
The coordinated operation also resulted in the freezing of 1,424 bank accounts, the attachment of properties valued at ₹17.82 crore, and the seizure of 500 detonators and ₹12 lakh in cash.
According to the Home Minister, the alleged network was involved in trafficking narcotics across India, Myanmar and Bangladesh, using cross-border routes to facilitate its operations.
SIMULTANEOUS RAIDS ACROSS THREE STATES
The operation was carried out on October 23 across 38 locations in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur. Central agencies worked alongside police forces in the three northeastern states to target suspected members of the alleged drug trafficking syndicate and investigate its financial operations.
The arrests and seizures formed part of a wider effort to disrupt the network's suspected logistical and financial infrastructure.
The freezing of 1,424 bank accounts is particularly significant to the investigation, as financial records may help authorities trace suspected proceeds of drug trafficking and identify individuals or entities allegedly involved in moving illicit funds.
Officials have reported hawala transactions worth ₹100 crore in connection with the operation. Hawala is an informal system for transferring money through networks of intermediaries, often without conventional international bank transfers.
However, the reported transaction value should not automatically be interpreted as ₹100 crore in seized cash or as a final determination that every transaction involved criminal proceeds.
₹17.82 CRORE IN PROPERTIES ATTACHED
The operation also resulted in the attachment of properties valued at ₹17.82 crore, according to the figures announced by Shah. In addition, authorities seized ₹12 lakh in cash and recovered 500 detonators.
The combination of financial investigations, property attachments and physical seizures suggests that the operation extended beyond the immediate pursuit of suspected drug couriers to the broader infrastructure allegedly supporting the network.
The detonators recovered during the operation raise additional questions about the circumstances in which they were held and their intended use. The available reports do not establish a definitive connection between the explosives-related material and a specific criminal activity.
Further investigation will be necessary to establish the source and intended destination of the seized items.
ALLEGED INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRAFFICKING NETWORK
According to Shah, the suspected syndicate operated across India, Myanmar and Bangladesh through a route he described as the “Death Triangle Corridor.” The region's proximity to international borders has made India's Northeast an important focus of efforts to combat cross-border narcotics trafficking.
Myanmar, in particular, has been a major source of concern for Indian authorities because of the movement of synthetic drugs and other narcotics through routes connecting Southeast Asia with northeastern India.
Investigators are seeking to disrupt the networks that allegedly facilitate the movement of drugs, money and other resources across these borders.
The authorities have described Operation Trident as an effort to dismantle an international narcotics network. The precise roles of the 18 arrested individuals and the extent of the alleged network's operations remain matters for investigation and legal proceedings.
AMIT SHAH REITERATES DRUG-FREE INDIA TARGET
Announcing the operation's results, the Home Minister praised the central agencies and police forces of Assam, Mizoram and Manipur for their coordinated action. Shah reiterated the government's stated objective of eliminating drug trafficking networks by December 31, 2029.
The campaign combines enforcement against suspected traffickers with efforts to identify financial channels and dismantle the infrastructure that allows organised drug networks to operate.
The latest operation also highlights the importance of cooperation between central investigative agencies and state police forces in regions where narcotics trafficking crosses state and international boundaries.
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
With 18 arrests, 1,424 bank accounts frozen and properties worth ₹17.82 crore attached, Operation Trident represents a coordinated law-enforcement action targeting an alleged international narcotics network.
The reported ₹100 crore hawala trail and the recovery of 500 detonators have widened the scope of questions investigators must address, including the origins of the suspected funds, the ownership of the attached properties and the circumstances surrounding the seized material.
Authorities will need to establish the evidence against individual suspects and determine the connections between the alleged trafficking operations and the financial transactions under investigation.
The full impact of Operation Trident will depend on whether investigators can translate the raids and seizures into legally sustainable cases and dismantle the wider networks allegedly involved.