Union Home Minister Amit Shah has congratulated central agencies and police forces in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur following a coordinated crackdown on an alleged international narcotics-trafficking network under Operation Trident.
Spearheaded by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the operation was conducted in the early hours of October 23, 2026, with 38 multi-agency teams carrying out simultaneous action at 38 locations across the three northeastern states. The operation involved coordination with Mizoram Police, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other enforcement personnel.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Operation Trident was launched by the NCB on October 23, 2026.
Coordinated action covered 38 locations across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur.
The government reported 18 arrests.
Hawala transactions worth ₹100 crore were identified.
Authorities froze 1,424 bank accounts.
Properties valued at ₹17.82 crore were attached.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the operation led to the arrest of 18 people and revealed hawala transactions worth ₹100 crore. Authorities froze 1,424 bank accounts and attached properties valued at ₹17.82 crore. They also seized 500 detonators and ₹12 lakh in cash.
In a post on social media on October 25, Shah said the network trafficked narcotics across the borders of India, Myanmar and Bangladesh through what he described as the “Death Triangle Corridor.” He congratulated the anti-narcotics teams for their coordinated action against the network and its financial links.
The government said the operation reflects a shift towards targeting the financial and operational structures of suspected drug-trafficking syndicates, rather than focusing solely on drug seizures.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
Drug-trafficking networks can depend on cross-border logistics, financial intermediaries and concealed money transfers. By targeting suspected trafficking operations alongside their financial links, enforcement agencies aim to disrupt the networks that support the movement of narcotics. The operation also highlights coordination among central agencies and state police forces in northeastern India.
Shah also reiterated the government's stated objective of eliminating drug networks by December 31, 2029, in line with its broader narcotics-control strategy.
