Assam CM announces ‘ruthless’ anti-drug drive
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launches the state’s drug eradication program in Assam by driving a road roller over bottles of seized cough syrups and other psychoactive substances. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday (July 12, 2026) announced a “relentless” drive against drug trade and said inter-state coordination to break the backbone of drug cartels has improved after the installation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal.
Inaugurating the nationwide drug eradication campaign at the 14th Assam Police Battalion headquarters in Daulasal of Nalbari district, he said seized drugs worth ₹472.51 crore would be destroyed in nine districts. Daulasal is about 75 km west of Guwahati.
He initiated the burning of some of the seized heroin, cannabis, methamphetamine and other drugs and drove a road roller to crush bottles of illegal cough syrups.
Mr. Sarma told reporters that a joint approach between the Center and Assam would help track illegal movement of substances, identify track records, catch traders at the borders before entering the state and prepare a strong case to prosecute them.
“We will be ruthless in this fight against drugs. It is a promise and a warning,” he said.
He said the state police and other agencies have seized drugs and psychotropic substances worth ₹3,227 crore and registered 3,300 cases under the Assam Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances Act in the last five years.
It is used as a transit
Mr. Sarma said drug smuggling from Myanmar through Manipur and Mizoram was a cause for concern as Assam was slowly being used as a transit. From Assam they were taken to West Bengal and then to other parts of the country.
“Inter-state understanding has improved, especially after the BJP formed the government in West Bengal. Better inter-state coordination is important to create forward and backward linkages as the war on drugs does not end with the arrest of a trafficker,” he said.
He explained that the links – the origin and destination of the shipment – go beyond the geographical area of Assam, hence the importance of a coordinated all-India fight to resolve the issue.
“Inter-state coordination is being strengthened under the leadership of (Union Home Minister) Amit Shahji, who regularly meets the anti-drug agencies,” the chief minister said.
When asked, he said that the drug problem cannot be solved by simply fencing the Myanmar border, as heroin or cocaine can still be smuggled using drones and other methods such as throwing packages across the border with stones. However, he believed that fencing would help prevent infiltration.
“The war on drugs goes beyond swordsmanship. You need technology to intercept drones and track their launch sites. The strategies used by drug traffickers are much deeper than swordsmanship,” he said.
“Fencing gives you a physical barrier, but you have to create barriers against drones and capture the movement of people. You also have to develop human intelligence,” he added.
Mr. Sarma further said that the Center was in touch with the Myanmar authorities and was strengthening the border posts in Manipur and Mizoram.
“I am confident that the war on drugs will be further strengthened with the help of our international partners. With the kind of intelligence and technology that the Indian government now has, I am confident that we will be able to work much more effectively,” he said.
Citing the modus operandi used by drug traffickers, he said many had been arrested in the past when they were dealing drugs hidden under plasters on their limbs. He also said traffickers use women and children to transport drugs in small quantities, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to detect.
Published – 12 Jul 2026 22:42 IST