Drug Cartel Busted, Rs 100 Cr Hawala Trail Exposed In Operation Trident: Shah

The October 23 operation, codenamed Operation Trident, also resulted in the attachment of properties worth Rs 17.82 crore and seizure of 500 detonators and Rs 12 lakh in cash.

In a post on X, Shah said the operation targeted a transnational narcotics network trafficking drugs between India, Myanmar and Bangladesh through what he described as the “Death Triangle Corridor”.

The cartel was allegedly headed by Myanmar-based drug kingpin Thangcintuang alias Chintuang alias Tluanga, who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Delhi earlier this year.

The network allegedly smuggled methamphetamine and heroin through the Myanmar-Mizoram-Manipur-Assam-Tripura corridor into mainland India and Bangladesh.

Officials said 38 NCB teams, working with Mizoram police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), simultaneously raided 38 locations following intelligence gathering, surveillance and financial investigations.

The raids covered Aizawl, Champhai and the border trading town of Zokhawthar in Mizoram, Churachandpur in Manipur and the Cachar transit corridor in Assam.

Investigators said the operation targeted the cartel’s trafficking infrastructure and financial network, including suspected shell entities, hawala operators and mule bank accounts.

Earlier investigations had led to the arrests of the kingpin’s associate Vungkhanthawna, alleged hawala operator Lalrampari and Assam-based logistics coordinator Abu Saleh alias Saifuddin.

Officials said financial profiling and digital forensic analysis of these cases had revealed a wider network of facilitators, prompting the coordinated raids.

Congratulating the participating agencies, Shah said the operation reflected the government’s resolve to dismantle drug networks by December 31, 2029.

“India will hammer until the last nail is driven into the coffin of drug cartels,” he said.