Thirty-eight teams, thirty-eight doors, one morning. That is how India’s anti-narcotics agency went after a drug network that officials say ran methamphetamine and heroin from Myanmar deep into India and on to Bangladesh, and moved its money through ordinary bank accounts rented out by local people.
Under Operation Trident, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) carried out simultaneous raids across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur on Friday, October 23. Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the results on Sunday: 18 people arrested, 1,424 bank accounts frozen, about Rs 100 crore in hawala transactions uncovered and properties worth Rs 17.82 crore attached. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and police forces of the three states worked alongside the NCB.
Quick Facts
- Who: Narcotics Control Bureau, with the Enforcement Directorate, Mizoram Police and police of Assam and Manipur
- What: Operation Trident, a coordinated crackdown on a cross-border drug and hawala network
- When: Raids on Friday, October 23, 2026; results announced October 25
- Where: 38 locations in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur, including Aizawl, Champhai, Zokhawthar and Churachandpur
- Key numbers: 18 arrests, 1,424 bank accounts frozen, Rs 100 crore hawala trail, Rs 17.82 crore in property attached, 500 detonators and Rs 12 lakh cash seized
What Happened in Operation Trident
The NCB sent 38 teams to 38 places at the same time, a tactic meant to stop anyone from tipping off the rest of the network. According to the government’s account reported by ThePrint, the targets were spread across Mizoram’s Aizawl, Champhai and Zokhawthar, Manipur’s Churachandpur and the Cachar transit corridor in Assam.
Along with the arrests and frozen accounts, officials said they seized 500 detonators and Rs 12 lakh in cash. The ED ran its own searches under the money-laundering law and, according to an ANI report, arrested six people during those searches. Officials have not made clear how the ED’s six arrests fit inside the overall count of 18.
Shah posted about the operation on X and said the cartel operated across India, Myanmar and Bangladesh. “India will hammer until the last nail is driven into the coffin of drug cartels,” he wrote.
The ‘Death Triangle Corridor’ and the Myanmar Kingpin
The government says the network was led by a Myanmar-based kingpin named as Thangcintuang, also known as Chintuang or Tluanga. He was arrested in May 2026 in Delhi, according to the official statement. An associate who allegedly coordinated consignments, Vungkhanthawna, was also arrested in May and detained under the NDPS Act.
Officials say the drugs moved along a route running from Myanmar through Mizoram, Manipur, Assam and Tripura into mainland India and Bangladesh. The government statement calls this stretch the “Death Triangle Corridor.” Earlier arrests linked to the same network, as per the statement, include an alleged hawala operator named Lalrampari and an alleged Assam logistics head, Abu Saleh alias Saifuddin, who was picked up in Cachar in November 2025.
All of those named are accused, not convicted. None of the allegations have been tested in court yet.
Why the Hawala Money Trail Matters
For years, drug busts in India have been measured in kilograms seized. This operation was pitched differently. The government said it follows its Vision Document on Narcotics Control for 2026 to 2029 and marks a shift “from a seizure-centric to a network-centric and financial disruption approach.”
In plain words, the idea is to follow the money. A truck of drugs can be replaced. Freezing more than 1,400 accounts and attaching property hits the people who fund and profit from the trade, and makes it harder to pay couriers and suppliers next time.
The ED has said the frozen accounts are linked to narco-trade and hawala operators, along with “mule” and beneficiary accounts in Mizoram and Manipur. A mule account is a normal bank account that its owner lends or rents to someone else, often for a small fee, so dirty money can pass through it without pointing to the real operator.
What Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Said
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called the raids “a huge blow to the international drugs cartel” and said the operation had exposed a large drugs and hawala nexus in the region. He said the crackdown would continue until drugs are wiped out by 2029. Shah also linked the operation to the Centre’s target of eradicating drug networks by December 31, 2029.
Manipur’s Chief Minister also reaffirmed the state’s “Drug-Free Manipur” push after the crackdown, according to India Today NE.
What We Don’t Know Yet
- The names of all 18 people arrested and the exact charges against each have not been released.
- Officials have not said how much methamphetamine or heroin, if any, was seized in these raids.
- It is not clear what the 500 detonators were meant for or who they belonged to.
- Nearly all figures so far come from government statements. There has been no independent verification or court proceeding yet.
What This Means for You: Never Rent Out Your Bank Account
The biggest lesson here is not just for the Northeast. Mule accounts show up in drug cases, cyber fraud and online scams all over India. Someone offers a few hundred or a few thousand rupees to “use” your account, or asks you to receive and forward money. It sounds harmless. It is not.
- If your account is used to move illegal money, it can be frozen, and you can face questioning or charges under money-laundering law.
- Never share your debit card, net banking login, UPI PIN or OTP with anyone, even friends or relatives asking for a “favour”.
- If you see unknown credits in your account, contact your bank right away. For cyber fraud, you can report at the national cybercrime helpline 1930.
- Information about drug trafficking can be shared with the NCB’s MANAS helpline, 1933.
Our Take
Going after bank accounts and property rather than just seizing packets is a sensible way to hurt a drug network where it counts. The real test will come later, in court. Big numbers at a press announcement mean little unless they turn into solid cases and convictions, and unless ordinary people who rented out accounts for small sums are dealt with differently from the operators who used them.
FAQs
What is Operation Trident?
It is a coordinated NCB-led crackdown carried out on October 23, 2026, across 38 locations in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur against a cross-border drug and hawala network.
How many people were arrested in Operation Trident?
Home Minister Amit Shah said 18 people were arrested. The ED separately reported six arrests during its own searches.
Why were 1,424 bank accounts frozen?
Officials say the accounts were linked to drug traders, hawala operators and mule accounts used to move drug money through Mizoram and Manipur.
What is the Death Triangle Corridor?
It is the government’s name for the trafficking route running from Myanmar through Mizoram, Manipur, Assam and Tripura into the rest of India and Bangladesh.
Can I get into trouble for lending my bank account?
Yes. If your account is used for illegal transactions, it can be frozen and you may be investigated, even if you only “rented” it for a small fee.
For official updates, see the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Enforcement Directorate press releases.
Based on reporting by ANI, ThePrint, Deccan Herald and India Today NE.
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