JUNE 09: In a significant blow to cross-border drug trafficking in the Northeast, authorities have seized drugs and cash worth approximately ₹55.52 crore in Manipur’s Churachandpur district during a high-risk, coordinated operation. The three-day operation, codenamed “Operation White Veil,” was jointly conducted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Customs, 17 Battalion Assam Rifles, and the Manipur Police from 5th to 7th June 2025.
The joint enforcement team uncovered a massive consignment of narcotics, including 7,755.75 grams of heroin, valued at ₹54.29 crore, and 6,736 grams of opium, estimated at ₹87.57 lakh in the international market. Additionally, officials recovered unaccounted cash totaling ₹35.63 lakh, two Baofeng walkie-talkies, and a Maruti Eeco van. A total of five individuals were arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
The breakthrough came in the early hours of 6th June at Behiang village near the India-Myanmar border. Acting on intelligence inputs, officials tracked two suspects in a Maruti Eeco van to a house in Thadou Veng, Singngat Sub-Division. A search of the premises led to the seizure of 219 soap cases filled with heroin, eight packages, and 18 tin cans of opium, along with ₹7.58 lakh in cash and communication equipment. One person was apprehended at the site, while two accomplices who had fled were intercepted at Bualkot Check Gate.
A follow-up search at Behiang village led to the recovery of additional opium and ₹28.05 lakh in cash from another suspect’s residence. The operation continued into 7th June when two more individuals carrying improvised backpacks were stopped near Zoukhonuam village, resulting in the discovery of 440 soap cases containing heroin.
Initial investigations suggest the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar through the porous Indo-Myanmar forest border. Despite operational challenges, the joint efforts of multiple enforcement agencies ensured the success of the mission. Authorities reaffirmed their commitment to curbing the drug menace in the region. Under the NDPS Act, those convicted face stringent penalties, including up to ten years of rigorous imprisonment.