Hailakandi, Assam: In the state’s biggest recorded narcotics recovery, security forces recovered 109.2 kg of Yaba tablets — 546 packets estimated at ₹327 crore — during a night-time operation in the Ramnathpur area of Hailakandi district, officials said on Wednesday. One person has been detained and the seizure has been handed over to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Silchar, for detailed inquiry.
Operation and seizures
The operation, launched on Tuesday night, was carried out jointly by the Assam Rifles and the DRI after specific intelligence inputs, officials reported. Along with the contraband, two trucks, a mobile phone, an Aadhaar card and a driving licence were recovered. All items and the arrested individual have been transferred to DRI custody in Silchar for further legal and forensic action.
“This is one of the largest recoveries in the region and a major breakthrough against organised inter-state narcotics trafficking,” an official release said.
Border routes and recent patterns
Officials emphasised that traffickers exploit cross-border transit routes in the Barak Valley and the Northeast. The Ramnathpur area lies close to the Mizoram border, and security agencies have pointed to routes from Myanmar via Mizoram and Manipur being used to channel narcotics through Assam to other parts of the country.
This seizure follows another major recovery in the Barak Valley on August 27, when security personnel seized Yaba tablets valued at ₹168 crore in Lakhipur, Cachar district. In that incident, about 5.60 lakh tablets weighing roughly 60 kg were recovered and one person arrested, according to official reports.
What was recovered — at a glance
- Contraband: 109.2 kg of Yaba tablets (546 packets)
- Estimated value: ₹327 crore
- Items recovered: two trucks, a mobile phone, an Aadhaar card, a driving licence
- Detention: one person arrested; all materials handed to DRI, Silchar
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Ramnathpur area, Hailakandi district (bordering Mizoram) |
| Quantity | 109.2 kg (546 packets) |
| Estimated value | ₹327 crore |
| Agencies involved | Assam Rifles, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) |
| Next procedural step | Consignment, vehicles and detainee handed to DRI, Silchar |
Implications for law enforcement
Officials described the seizure as a significant blow to organised inter‑state narcotics networks operating in the Northeast. The recovery underscores ongoing concerns among security and customs agencies about porous transit corridors along the India–Myanmar border and the misuse of Assam as a transit hub. The handover to DRI, Silchar, indicates the matter will proceed through revenue intelligence and criminal investigation channels.
For investigators, the seized mobile phone and identity documents may provide leads on distribution chains and accomplices. For local communities, officials framed the operation as part of continuing efforts to safeguard youths and vulnerable populations from the harms of synthetic drugs such as Yaba, which contains methamphetamine and caffeine and is illegal in India.
Regional context
The Northeast has seen intermittent large seizures in recent years, reflecting both the growing production and transit of methamphetamine-type substances in parts of Southeast Asia and the exploitation of complex local terrain and borders by traffickers. Authorities in Assam and neighbouring states have repeatedly called for greater inter-agency coordination and intelligence sharing to stem the flow.
The DRI’s detailed probe in Silchar will determine prosecutable offences, routes of transit, ownership or syndicate links, and any cross-border dimensions. Officials did not disclose the identity of the arrested person or further operational details pending ongoing investigations.
Local residents and civic groups have in the past pressed for intensified patrols and better community awareness campaigns on drug abuse and trafficking. The recent successive recoveries in the Barak Valley may prompt renewed emphasis on surveillance of highways and border interfaces in the region.
As inquiries proceed under DRI supervision, authorities are expected to release further information on the chain of custody, forensic analysis and the legal case arising from the Hailakandi seizure.
