Mizoram authorities seize drugs worth over Rs 317 crore under operation Jericho as trafficking routes shift to southern border

Mizzima

During a budget session of the Mizoram Legislative Assembly on 11 March 11, Home Minister K. Sapdanga announced that joint security forces have confiscated narcotics valued at Rs 317.30 crore (US$34.4 million) over the past six months under the intensified crackdown known as Operation Jericho.

The operation, a collaborative effort between the Mizoram Police, Assam Rifles, the Excise and Narcotics Department, and local youth organizations, was originally slated to end in late 2025 but has been extended through 31 March 2026, to combat the persistent flow of heroin and methamphetamine from the Golden Triangle.

While the minister noted significant success in curbing transit through the traditional hub of Champhai district, he warned of emerging smuggling routes in the southern districts of Siaha and Lawngtlai, which share a porous border with Myanmar.

Sapdanga said the government will decide whether to extend Operation Jericho further after reviewing the situation.

Indian authorities stated that most of the seized drugs were heroin, crystal meth (Ice), and methamphetamine, which are commonly trafficked through the Golden Triangle – a region spanning parts of Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos known for large-scale drug production.

A Myanmar national living in Mizoram told Mizzima that frequent reports of drug seizures make life difficult for refugees.

“Every time we hear about drug seizures, it’s hard to live here. Some locals dislike it because the drugs are coming from our own country,” he said.

He added that Myanmar citizens living in exile should respect the laws of the host country and consider how their actions might affect others.

According to a report published by The Statesman on 25 August, citing the Mizoram Police, 439 Myanmar nationals were among 460 foreign nationals arrested for various crimes in Mizoram between the military coup in Myanmar in 2021 and May 2025, and most of them were arrested in connection with drug-related offences.

Currently, more than 30,000 Myanmar nationals are living in Mizoram, and the state government has collected their biographical records as part of its administrative monitoring efforts.