The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has dealt a significant blow to a transnational drug trafficking network operating along the India-Myanmar border. Officials confirmed on Sunday that a key Myanmar-based kingpin, identified as a major supplier of methamphetamine and heroin, was arrested in Delhi on Saturday after extensive surveillance and coordinated interstate operations.
Arrest of the Kingpin
The accused, Thancintuang, also known as Chintuang or Tluanga, is the second major Myanmar-based drug supplier apprehended by the NCB this year. He had emerged as one of the most significant traffickers along the Myanmar-Mizoram-Manipur-Assam-Tripura corridor, serving as a major international supplier of methamphetamine and heroin from Myanmar.
Extensive Network Uncovered
Investigations revealed his deep involvement in organizing cross-border trafficking routes that funneled narcotic consignments through Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, and Tripura into various parts of India and Bangladesh. He was wanted in multiple cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, including two cases registered by Mizoram Police in 2025 related to suspected methamphetamine and heroin trafficking, and six cases registered by the Mizoram Excise and Narcotics Department in 2023 linked to heroin trafficking.
The NCB stated that his illicit drug trafficking network is valued at approximately Rs 115 crore. He is linked to seven NDPS cases connected with the Myanmar-Mizoram-Tripura-Assam corridor and is suspected in five other cases associated with the Myanmar-Manipur-Assam axis. Chintuang was the prime accused in a 2024 NCB Agartala zone case involving the seizure of 14 kg of methamphetamine and 2.8 kg of heroin, and a 2025 case involving the seizure of 49.1 kg of methamphetamine tablets.
Key Associates Apprehended
During the investigation, several members of the syndicate were identified and arrested. Vungkhanthawna, a close associate and key facilitator, played a major role in coordinating the movement and delivery of narcotic consignments. He was arrested during follow-up operations and was also found involved in another NDPS case registered by Mizoram Police.
Lalrampari, another associate, functioned as a major hawala operator responsible for handling proceeds from the syndicate’s illicit activities. She was arrested by the NCB on August 8, 2024. Investigations revealed hawala transactions amounting to nearly Rs 100 crore linked to the network, and the matter was shared with the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Properties suspected to have been acquired through drug proceeds were also frozen.
Further investigations led to the arrest of Abu Saleh alias Saifuddin from Assam’s Cachar district on November 20, 2025. He was identified as a major Indian operative and logistics coordinator, actively involved in transporting and distributing narcotic substances across the Assam corridor. He was found linked to multiple NDPS cases registered by Mizoram Police and the Mizoram Excise and Narcotics Department.
Another key accused, Jabrul from Assam’s Karimganj district, was arrested on December 3, 2025, along with an additional consignment of narcotic drugs. He was involved in multiple NDPS cases registered by Tripura Police and the NCB.
Financial Investigations and Network Disruption
Financial investigations led to the identification and temporary freezing of multiple bank accounts linked to the accused. The probe revealed a highly organized interstate and international drug trafficking network extending from Myanmar to Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Tripura, and Bangladesh. The syndicate utilized multiple trafficking routes, local facilitators, transport coordinators, hawala channels, and financial handlers for smuggling and distribution of methamphetamine and heroin across borders.
NCB’s Intensified Crackdown
Since 2025, the NCB has intensified its network-centric investigations by adopting both “top-to-bottom” and “bottom-to-top” approaches aimed at dismantling entire syndicates rather than merely intercepting consignments. In the northeastern region alone, the NCB registered 48 NDPS cases in 2025, resulting in the arrest of 116 drug traffickers and the seizure of narcotic drugs valued at approximately Rs 665 crore in the illicit market. In 2026, the NCB has already registered 31 NDPS cases so far, leading to the arrest of 54 drug traffickers and the seizure of substantial quantities of narcotic drugs during sustained enforcement operations across the region.
