In a significant blow to the narcotics trade in India’s North Eastern region, a major anti-smuggling operation—codenamed Operation White Veil—was carried out between June 5 and 7 in the border areas of Churachandpur district, Manipur. The coordinated crackdown involved the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Customs Department, 17 Battalion of the Assam Rifles, and the Manipur Police.
The joint task force seized a massive cache of contraband, including 7,755.75 grams of heroin, estimated to be worth ₹54.29 crore, and 6,736 grams of opium valued at ₹87.57 lakh in the international illegal drug market. Additionally, ₹35.63 lakh in cash, two Baofeng walkie-talkies, and a Maruti Eeco van used in the smuggling activity were confiscated. A total of five individuals were arrested under the stringent provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Early Morning Raid Uncovers Drug Cache
On the morning of June 6, surveillance led officials to a suspicious Maruti Eeco van in Behiang village, close to the Myanmar border. The suspects were discreetly tracked to a residence in Thadou Veng, Singngat Sub-Division, where a search revealed 219 soap cases of heroin, eight packets and 18 small tins of opium, walkie-talkies, and ₹7.58 lakh in cash. One suspect was arrested from the premises, while two others fled but were later intercepted at Bualkot Check Gate. Subsequent search operations at another house in Behiang Village yielded two more opium packets and ₹28.05 lakh in cash.
Follow-Up Action Leads to Massive Heroin Haul
Acting on leads from the initial arrests, the team intercepted two individuals on June 7 at Zoukhonuam Village near Border Pillar 46, each carrying manpacks filled with contraband. A search of the packs resulted in the recovery of 440 soap cases of heroin, marking one of the largest single seizures in the region in recent years.
Drugs Smuggled from Myanmar Through Forested Borders
Preliminary investigations suggest that the narcotics were smuggled in from Myanmar, taking advantage of the porous and forested terrain along the Indo-Myanmar border. The success of Operation White Veil highlights the growing cross-border drug menace and the persistent efforts of security agencies to disrupt the illegal drug networks operating in the Northeast.
Authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to curbing drug trafficking and emphasized that those arrested will face the full force of the NDPS Act, which carries penalties including rigorous imprisonment of up to 10 years for serious offences.
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