Assam destroys ₹472.5 crore worth of seized drugs as Himanta vows tougher war on cross-border narcotics

CM says most narcotics enter from Myanmar via Mizoram and Manipur; over 3,300 NDPS cases registered in five years

Nalbari, July 12: In one of Assam’s biggest public demonstrations of its anti-narcotics campaign, the state government on Sunday scientifically destroyed seized drugs worth an estimated ₹472.51 crore, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declaring that the fight against drug trafficking must increasingly target the cross-border syndicates behind the trade.

₹472 करोड़ के ड्रग्स का अंतिम संस्कार 🔥

Taking our fight against drugs to the next level, today we have destroyed ₹472cr of drugs, which could have destroyed precious lives.

We are relentless in our pursuit against drugs and have adopted a ZERO TOLERANCE policy towards it. pic.twitter.com/Dq3mlxRsh9

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 12, 2026

At the state-level Drug Disposal Programme held at Daolasal in Nalbari district, Sarma, accompanied by Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, Director General of Police Harmeet Singh and other senior officials, symbolically drove a bulldozer over the seized contraband before it was scientifically disposed of after obtaining court approval.

The destroyed narcotics included 39.068 kg of morphine, 58.877 kg of heroin, 79.77 kg of opium, 19.03 lakh Yaba tablets, 37.8 tonnes of ganja, 2.29 lakh bottles of cough syrup, cocaine and poppy straw, collectively valued at ₹472.51 crore in the illicit market.

The exercise marked another milestone in Assam’s ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking, aimed at ensuring that seized contraband does not re-enter the illegal market while sending a strong message to organised drug syndicates.

Addressing the gathering, Sarma said Assam’s anti-drug campaign has enjoyed rare bipartisan support, with both treasury and opposition members endorsing strict action against narcotics networks during the Budget Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly.
He said the drugs destroyed on Sunday were linked to cases in which courts had permitted disposal after completion of the legal process.

Highlighting the scale of the crackdown, the Chief Minister said Assam Police have registered more than 3,300 cases under the NDPS Act over the past five years, leading to the seizure of large quantities of narcotics and the arrest of hundreds of traffickers and peddlers.

Sarma said a significant share of narcotics reaching Assam originates in Myanmar and is smuggled into India through Mizoram and Manipur before being routed to different parts of the country. While enforcement agencies have succeeded in intercepting consignments and arresting carriers, the kingpins often remain beyond India’s borders, making intelligence-led operations critical.

“Drug trafficking has no caste, religion or community. It is an organised criminal network. We need timely intelligence and public cooperation to identify peddlers and track the routes used to move drugs from one state to another,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the Centre has intensified coordination with Myanmar and strengthened surveillance along the Mizoram and Manipur borders. Improved intelligence sharing and technology, he added, have enabled agencies to intercept several major consignments in recent years.

Sarma also highlighted the increasingly sophisticated methods adopted by smugglers. Investigators, he said, have uncovered cases where narcotics were concealed inside fake leg casts worn by people pretending to have fractures. He also displayed miniature bottles used to hide cocaine, illustrating how traffickers continue to innovate to evade detection.
Warning that physical border fencing alone cannot stop the drug trade, Sarma stressed that law enforcement agencies must stay ahead through better intelligence, inter-agency coordination and modern policing.

“Border fencing is important, but it is not the complete solution. Smugglers keep changing their methods and using new technology. Our agencies must remain one step ahead through intelligence, coordination and modern policing,” he said.

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