New Delhi, July 23 (IANS) The Guwahati and Imphal zonal units of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have stepped up operations against narcotics cartels operating out of Myanmar.
India is battling narcotics smuggling on multiple fronts, with drug cartels operating out of Myanmar emerging as a major security concern. While the Guwahati and Imphal zonal units of the NCB have made several major seizures in 2025 and 2026, enforcement agencies have observed a shift in the smuggling methods and operational patterns adopted by these networks.
As law enforcement agencies tighten the noose around drug cartels operating between Myanmar and India, the traditional routes used to smuggle narcotics have begun to change.
An official said the cartels primarily smuggle heroin and methamphetamine into India. “Earlier, when surveillance and scrutiny were less stringent, traffickers used conventional routes and operated with relative ease. However, they have now shifted to dense forests and riverine stretches to evade detection,” the official said.
While enforcement agencies are working to dismantle these smuggling routes, the task remains challenging because of the difficult terrain along the India-Myanmar border. According to officials, traffickers typically move consignments under the cover of darkness, making detection far more difficult. They also exploit adverse weather conditions, including heavy rain, knowing that surveillance and movement by security personnel are often affected during such periods, an official said.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that the supply chain is a complex one. Multiple layers are involved, which makes detection and investigation tricky. These Myanmar-based cartels have their supply chains leading to Assam and Manipur.
After the drugs originate from Myanmar, they get passed on to the cross-border couriers. “These traffickers are assisted by the transport coordinators, following which it reaches the local facilitators, who then get in touch with the receivers of the consignment, who then supply it into the market,” the IB official said.
Further, there is another chain which involves the finances. Those who handle the illicit finances are random people who are not usually under the radar of any agency. Their job is to collect the money from the consignment receivers and then route it back to the cartels using several illicit channels.
“As compared to the narcotic smuggling that one witnesses along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab, this one is a much more complex one,” said an official.
In Punjab, Pakistan-based smugglers now rely largely on drones to drop contraband across the border, reflecting a more technology-driven method of trafficking. In contrast, drug cartels operating out of Myanmar continue to depend primarily on human couriers and traditional smuggling networks, with comparatively limited use of technology.
Another official said that the use of such complex terrains and networks makes the job of the agencies much harder. Multiple layers need to be monitored, and since it is a well-oiled mechanism, it would take some time before a complete crackdown takes place, the official also explained.
The recent arrest of Nengzatuan, alias Tuanpi, a resident of Haichin in Myanmar’s Chin State, has given a significant boost to the NCB’s operations. Wanted in multiple narcotics cases, Tuanpi was arrested in Manipur. Investigators believe his interrogation will provide valuable insights into the logistics network used by Myanmar-based drug cartels and help agencies dismantle their supply chain.
The arrested person is not a small-time operative, and he was one of the main international suppliers, who was operating out of Chin State. His questioning is crucial, and the details he would provide to the NCB will help the agency break down the supply chains from Myanmar into India better.
An official said Tuanpi is expected to provide crucial information on the smuggling routes and logistics network used by the cartels. The intelligence gathered from his interrogation is likely to strengthen efforts to curb the flow of narcotics into India and also shed light on how drugs trafficked into the country are subsequently routed to international markets, the official added.
–IANS
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