DRI seizes 232 kg of methamphetamine in Northeast raid

New Delhi: In a major crackdown on synthetic drug trade in the Northeast, the Directorate of Revenue Information (DRI) has seized 231.8 kg of suspected methamphetamine tablets from four trucks seized across Assam and Tripura, underscoring the scale of drug shipments moving through the region.

The operation was carried out on September 15 and resulted in the arrest of three people and the seizure of four trucks used to transport contraband, according to a press statement from the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday.

The seizure is among the largest reported methamphetamine cases by the DRI in the Northeast and comes amid ongoing smuggling of synthetic drugs in the region, which shares an international border with Myanmar. In his statement, The DRI noted that the illicit street value of the latest consignment is in the hundreds of crores of rupees.

“The operation was based on specific intelligence and involved surveillance followed by simultaneous interception of suspect vehicles at several locations in Assam and Tripura.” The Assam Rifles assisted the DRI in the interception,” it said.

The latest operation comes shortly after two DRI operations near Silchar and Mizoram in August, in which the agency seized a combined 76 kg of methamphetamine tablets. The the drugs in these cases were also hidden in the vehicles. That said, the DRI reported the seizure of at least 307.8 kg of methamphetamine tablets in the Northeast in August and September, according to government reports.

Vulnerable area

Central agencies have identified the Northeast as vulnerable to synthetic drug trafficking. The Ministry of Home Affairs has previously identified the region’s proximity to Myanmar as one of the factors contributing to this vulnerability. Myanmar shares borders with four northeastern states—Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram—which provide several routes for narcotics to be smuggled into India.

Methamphetamine, commonly known as meth, is regulated under the Indian Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The legislation mandates severe penalties for offenses involving illegal substances, with punishment depending on quantity, among other things.