Operation Trident: NCB Uncovers Rs 100-Crore Hawala Trail

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has launched a major multi-agency crackdown on an alleged transnational Drug Trafficking network operating across India’s northeastern states and neighbouring Myanmar and Bangladesh. Under Operation Trident, authorities conducted simultaneous raids at 38 locations across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur on October 23, resulting in 18 arrests, the freezing of 1,424 bank accounts and the attachment of properties worth Rs 17.82 crore.

The operation also uncovered suspected hawala transactions worth nearly Rs 100 crore, while investigators seized 500 detonators and Rs 12 lakh in cash. The coordinated action targeted the alleged cartel’s drug supply routes, logistical infrastructure and financial channels, including suspected facilitators, shell entities and intermediaries believed to have helped move illicit funds.

Spearheaded by the NCB in coordination with Mizoram Police, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other enforcement agencies, Operation Trident followed intelligence gathering, financial profiling and digital forensic investigations. The authorities focused on a network allegedly involved in moving methamphetamine and heroin from Myanmar through India’s northeastern states, with onward trafficking into other parts of India and Bangladesh.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah welcomed the operation, praising the coordinated efforts of the central agencies and police forces in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur. Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia also backed the crackdown, saying the Northeast should not become a corridor for contraband.

Operation Trident: Key Details of the Drug Cartel Crackdown

The operation combined simultaneous searches with investigations into the suspected financial infrastructure supporting the alleged trafficking syndicate. According to the details provided, the main outcomes included:

• 38 locations searched: Multi-agency teams conducted coordinated operations across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur.
• 18 people arrested: The crackdown resulted in arrests linked to the wider investigation.
• Rs 100 crore in suspected hawala transactions: Investigators identified a substantial financial trail believed to be connected to illicit activities.
• 1,424 bank accounts frozen: Authorities moved to restrict access to accounts linked to the suspected network.
• Properties worth Rs 17.82 crore attached: Investigators took action against assets allegedly connected to the activities under investigation.
• 500 detonators seized: The operation also resulted in the seizure of detonators, alongside Rs 12 lakh in cash.

The figures illustrate the scale of the enforcement action described by the agencies and government representatives. However, arrests, account freezes and property attachments are investigative or enforcement measures; they do not by themselves establish the guilt of every person or entity connected to the case.

38 Multi-Agency Teams Conduct Simultaneous Raids

Operation Trident began in the early hours of Friday, October 23, following what the supplied account describes as extensive intelligence gathering, joint target mapping and coordinated operational planning.

Under a unified command structure, 38 composite teams drawn from multiple agencies conducted searches and investigations at 38 identified locations. The approach was designed to target different parts of the alleged syndicate at the same time, including its operational bases, suspected facilitators and financial links.

The NCB led the operation in coordination with Mizoram Police, the ED and other enforcement bodies. The involvement of multiple agencies enabled investigators to examine the suspected drug network alongside the financial transactions believed to have supported its activities.

The operation covered several important locations and transit routes across the Northeast. These included Aizawl, Champhai and Zokhawthar in Mizoram, linked operational bases in Churachandpur in Manipur, and the Cachar transit corridor in Assam.

These areas formed part of the wider network under investigation. Authorities focused not only on the movement of suspected narcotics but also on the people and entities allegedly responsible for arranging transportation, coordinating deliveries and handling money.

Investigators had reportedly been examining the network over an extended period before the coordinated raids. Financial profiling and digital forensics helped identify additional operatives and financial intermediaries, providing the basis for the simultaneous enforcement action.

By targeting multiple locations together, agencies sought to disrupt the alleged cartel’s logistics and financial channels rather than focus exclusively on individual drug seizures. The investigation described in the supplied account therefore extended beyond the movement of narcotics to the suspected systems used to coordinate and finance the operation.

Rs 100-Crore Hawala Trail Under Investigation

One of the most significant findings associated with Operation Trident was the identification of suspected hawala transactions worth nearly Rs 100 crore. Hawala is an informal system for transferring value through intermediaries, often without the conventional movement of money through a standard bank-to-bank transaction.

In this case, investigators reportedly traced a substantial financial network connected to the alleged drug trafficking syndicate. The investigation focused on suspected hawala operators, money mules, shell entities and other intermediaries believed to have facilitated illicit financial flows.

The NCB’s investigation was coordinated with the ED, which was involved in examining the financial dimensions of the suspected network. Authorities froze 1,424 bank accounts and attached properties valued at Rs 17.82 crore as part of the broader action described in the report.

The suspected financial trail matters because trafficking networks can rely on multiple intermediaries to handle proceeds, pay operational expenses and move funds across locations. Identifying these channels can help investigators examine relationships between suspected organisers, local facilitators and those allegedly responsible for moving narcotics.

However, the reported Rs 100 crore figure refers to suspected hawala transactions uncovered during the investigation. It should not automatically be interpreted as a confirmed amount of drug-sale proceeds, a final assessment of the cartel’s profits or a sum recovered in cash.

Similarly, freezing bank accounts and attaching properties are distinct from permanently confiscating assets following a final legal determination. The supplied account does not provide a final judicial finding on the ownership or criminal status of every asset linked to the investigation.

Myanmar-Based Suspect Identified as a Key Figure

The investigation has identified Myanmar-based Thangcintuang, also known as Chintuang or Tluanga, as a key figure in the alleged syndicate. According to the supplied information, he was wanted in more than 10 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act involving the NCB, Champhai Police and Mizoram Excise authorities.

He was subsequently arrested in Delhi following inter-state surveillance and sustained follow-up operations, according to the account. His reported arrest formed part of the wider investigation into the alleged cross-border network.

Investigators allege that the syndicate coordinated the movement of methamphetamine and heroin originating in Myanmar. The suspected route passed through Mizoram, Manipur, Assam and Tripura, with onward trafficking into mainland India and Bangladesh.

The geography of the alleged network places India’s northeastern region at the centre of the investigation. Its proximity to Myanmar and Bangladesh makes cross-border movement and cooperation between enforcement agencies relevant to examining the suspected trafficking routes described in the case.

The available information does not specify the quantities of methamphetamine or heroin attributed to the network, nor does it provide a complete breakdown of the alleged cartel’s operations in each state. Those details would be needed to establish the full scale of the trafficking activity under investigation.

Key Associates and Financial Facilitators Under Scrutiny

Earlier investigative developments had led to the arrest of several people described as important associates or facilitators of the alleged network. Their reported roles covered drug transportation, logistics and the movement of suspected illicit funds.

Vungkhanthawna: Alleged Drug Movement Facilitator

Vungkhanthawna was identified as a key facilitator allegedly responsible for coordinating the movement and delivery of drug consignments originating in Myanmar. According to the supplied account, he was arrested and subsequently detained under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act.

His reported role illustrates the importance of logistical coordination in the investigation. Authorities were examining not just the suspected suppliers but also the intermediaries allegedly responsible for ensuring that consignments moved through the network.

Lalrampari: Alleged Hawala Operator

Lalrampari, described in the supplied material as a primary hawala operator, was arrested by the NCB on August 8, 2024. Investigators examining the financial network reportedly uncovered nearly Rs 100 crore in suspected illicit hawala transactions.

The financial investigation prompted coordinated action with the ED and the freezing of assets linked to the alleged illegal activities. The case highlights how financial tracing can complement narcotics investigations by examining the intermediaries and channels through which suspected funds are transferred.

The reported transaction value should be distinguished from any amount ultimately proven to represent criminal proceeds. The supplied information does not provide a final accounting of the funds or a court determination establishing the status of every transaction.

Abu Saleh Alias Saifuddin: Alleged Assam Corridor Logistics Head

Another key operative, Abu Saleh, also known as Saifuddin, was arrested in Cachar on November 20, 2025, according to the supplied account. He was described as the alleged logistics head for the Assam corridor and was reportedly involved in coordinating narcotics transportation through the state.

The account also links him to multiple NDPS cases. His reported arrest was among the earlier investigative developments that helped authorities map the alleged network before Operation Trident’s coordinated searches.

Together, the reported arrests and financial investigations helped investigators build a broader picture of the suspected syndicate’s operations. The precise legal status and outcomes of the individual cases are not detailed in the supplied information.

Amit Shah Praises the Operation and Reaffirms Anti-Drug Push

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah welcomed Operation Trident, congratulating the anti-narcotics teams and police forces of Assam, Mizoram and Manipur for their coordinated action.

In a post on X, Shah said the government’s campaign against drugs had continued with simultaneous crackdowns at 38 locations across the three northeastern states on October 23. He described the operation as an action against an international narco-cartel and highlighted its reported financial and enforcement outcomes.

Shah cited the suspected Rs 100-crore hawala trail, the freezing of 1,424 bank accounts, the attachment of properties worth Rs 17.82 crore, the seizure of 500 detonators and Rs 12 lakh in cash, and the arrest of 18 people.

He also praised the central agencies and state police forces involved in carrying out the operation. The coordinated approach was consistent with the stated emphasis on intelligence-led investigations and cooperation among enforcement bodies.

Operation Trident was also presented as being aligned with the Vision Document on Narcotics Control for 2026–2029. The stated approach focuses on identifying drug networks, disrupting their financial infrastructure and improving coordination among agencies involved in counter-narcotics enforcement.

Scindia Says Northeast Must Not Become a Contraband Corridor

Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia also welcomed the operation, describing it as a message that the Northeast would not be allowed to become a corridor for contraband.

In a post on X, Scindia referred to the government’s resolve under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and highlighted Amit Shah’s role in the wider campaign against drugs.

His response placed the crackdown within the broader stated objective of disrupting narcotics trafficking routes that use the northeastern region. The operation’s focus on suspected cross-border supply chains and transit corridors reflects that concern.

The supplied account does not include further operational details from Scindia’s statement or announce additional measures beyond the crackdown described.

Why Operation Trident Matters for Northeast India

Operation Trident is notable for combining narcotics enforcement with investigations into suspected financial networks. Instead of limiting the action to drug seizures or individual arrests, agencies examined alleged trafficking routes, logistical support and the movement of money associated with the suspected syndicate.

The cross-border dimension is also significant. The alleged movement of methamphetamine and heroin from Myanmar through northeastern India towards other parts of the country and Bangladesh makes coordination across state boundaries central to the investigation described in the supplied account.

Financial investigations can help authorities identify suspected organisers and intermediaries who may not be directly involved in transporting narcotics. Account freezes, asset attachments and digital forensic analysis can also provide evidence for further investigation, subject to the applicable legal process.

At the same time, the reported figures should be read in context. The Rs 100 crore relates to suspected hawala transactions, while the properties valued at Rs 17.82 crore were reported as attached. The operation’s 18 arrests do not, on their own, establish convictions or final findings of guilt.

What Happens Next?

The next stage of the investigation will depend on the evidence gathered from the searches, financial records and digital devices, as well as any further action taken by the NCB, the ED and the state police forces involved.

The supplied information does not detail any subsequent charges, court proceedings or final outcomes for those arrested during the wider investigation. It also does not provide a final accounting of the suspected hawala transactions or establish how much of the alleged network’s assets may ultimately be confiscated.

For now, Operation Trident represents a coordinated enforcement action against a suspected transnational drug trafficking network, with authorities targeting both the movement of narcotics and the financial channels allegedly supporting it. The reported arrests, account freezes and property attachments mark significant investigative steps, while the ultimate legal findings will depend on the evidence and proceedings that follow.