Anti-narcotics agencies conducted coordinated operations across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur under ‘Operation Trident’, dismantling an international narco-cartel and arresting 18 people, the Central government announced on Sunday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the success of the operation in a post on X, describing it as another major action against drug trafficking.

“Modi Govt deals another lethal blow against drugs with Operation Trident,” he said.

“Our agencies launched a barrage of simultaneous crackdowns across 38 locations in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur on 23 October, smashing an international narco-cartel,” HM Shah said, highlighting the scale of the coordinated crackdown carried out by the agencies across the three northeastern states.

According to the Home Minister, the operation exposed hawala transactions worth Rs 100 crore and resulted in the freezing of 1,424 bank accounts.

Authorities also attached properties valued at Rs 17.82 crore, seized 500 detonators and Rs 12 lakh in cash, and arrested 18 people in connection with the operation.

“The network trafficked narcotics across the borders of India, Myanmar and Bangladesh through the Death Triangle Corridor. The offensive attests to India’s Himalayan resolve to realise the mission of eradicating every drug network by 31 December 2029. India will hammer until the last nail is driven into the coffin of drug cartels,” he said.

“Heartiest congratulations to the anti-narcotics team comprising central agencies and police forces of the three states,” the Home Minister added, congratulating the personnel involved in the coordinated operation.

Earlier on October 21, speaking at Police Commemoration Day in New Delhi, HM Shah announced that the Union Home Ministry has decided that during the remaining part of 2026, as well as in 2027, 2028 and 2029, a united fight will be waged against drugs over the next three-and-a-half years, and the country will be free from the drug problem by December 31, 2029.

“This is a very important goal for us, even more important than tackling the three hotspots. The drug problem hollows out our future generations, places an undue burden on our economy and provides financial support to organisations engaged in anti-national activities,” HM Shah said.

“Today, I want to call upon police forces across the country to wholeheartedly work towards achieving the goal of a drug-free India, following the roadmap we have prepared and the target set by our respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi, so that we can protect our future generations,” he added.

The Cyber Police Station of Delhi North-East District has arrested two men for their alleged involvement in a mule bank account that received Rs 98,592 linked to a Rs 2.10 crore digital-arrest cyber fraud case.

The police recovered four mobile phones, six debit cards and 10 chequebooks from the accused.

The arrested men have been identified as Sonu Khan (36), a resident of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, and Arjun Chaudhary (38), a resident of Ram Nagar in Shahdara, Delhi. According to police records, neither accused has any previous criminal involvement.

According to the police, the case came to light during the scrutiny of complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP). One complaint was shortlisted for verification, during which investigators discovered that a suspected mule bank account operating in Yamuna Vihar, Delhi, had received Rs 98,592 on October 12.

Examination of the bank transactions revealed that Rs 49,000 had been withdrawn from the account on October 12, while the remaining amount had been withdrawn through a cheque.

Further investigation established that the transaction was linked to E-FIR No. 0170/2026, dated October 15, registered at the Special Cell’s IFSO unit in Delhi under Sections 318(4), 319 and 340 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The case was registered following a complaint by Pratibha Jain, a resident of Janakpuri, Delhi, who reported being cheated of approximately Rs 2.10 crore by cyber fraudsters in a so-called “digital arrest” scam.

During the investigation, the bank account that had received a portion of the alleged fraud proceeds was suspected to have been used as a mule account to route money obtained through cybercrime.

Through technical surveillance and sustained investigation, the police traced the account holder, Sonu Khan, in Ashok Nagar, North-East Delhi. He was allegedly operating a shop dealing in disposable items.

During the proceedings, the police recovered three mobile phones, 10 chequebooks and six debit cards belonging to different banks from Khan’s possession.

Khan allegedly disclosed during interrogation that he was working for Arjun Chaudhary, who had facilitated the establishment of the shop.

Acting on information gathered during the investigation, the police apprehended Chaudhary, 38, a resident of Gali No. 3, Ram Nagar, Shahdara, Delhi. One mobile phone was recovered from his possession.

Further investigation is in progress.

Anti-narcotics operations across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur exposed Rs 100 crore worth of hawala transactions and resulted in the freezing of 1,424 bank accounts, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Sunday.

The anti-narcotics agencies conducted coordinated operations across the Northeast under Operation Trident, dismantling an international narco-cartel and arresting 18 people.

The Home Minister announced the success of the operation in a post on X, describing it as another major action against drug trafficking.

“Modi Govt deals another lethal blow against drugs with Operation Trident,” he said.

“Our agencies launched a barrage of simultaneous crackdowns across 38 locations in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur on 23 October, smashing an international narco-cartel,” HM Shah said, highlighting the scale of the coordinated crackdown carried out by the agencies across the three northeastern states.

“The operation revealed Rs 100 crore worth of hawala transactions, froze 1,424 bank accounts, attached properties worth Rs 17.82 crore, seized 500 detonators and Rs 12 lakh in cash, and led to the arrest of 18 people,” he said.

HM Shah said that the network trafficked narcotics across the borders of India, Myanmar and Bangladesh through the ‘Death Triangle Corridor’.

“The offensive attests to India’s Himalayan resolve to realise the mission of eradicating every drug network by 31 December 2029. India will hammer until the last nail is driven into the coffin of drug cartels,” he said.

“Heartiest congratulations to the anti-narcotics team comprising central agencies and police forces of the three states,” the Home Minister added, congratulating the personnel involved in the coordinated operation.

Earlier on October 21, speaking at Police Commemoration Day in New Delhi, HM Shah announced that the Union Home Ministry has decided that during the remaining part of 2026, as well as in 2027, 2028 and 2029, a united fight will be waged against drugs over the next three-and-a-half years and the country will be free from the drug problem by December 31, 2029.

“This is a very important goal for us, even more important than tackling the three hotspots. The drug problem hollows out our future generations, places an undue burden on our economy and provides financial support to organisations engaged in anti-national activities,” HM Shah said.

“Today, I want to call upon police forces across the country to wholeheartedly work towards achieving the goal of a drug-free India, following the roadmap we have prepared and the target set by our respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi, so that we can protect our future generations,” he added.