Aizawl: Mizoram Police, in coordination with the Excise and Narcotics Department and the Young Mizo Association (YMA), will launch a special operation to curb drug smuggling from outside the state, particularly from Myanmar, a senior police officer said on Sunday.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) H. Ramthlengliana said the four-month-long special operation will begin on Monday, September 1, and conclude on December 31.
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Earlier, Home Minister K. Sapdanga stated that drug smugglers and addicts frequently commit theft and other crimes, posing a serious threat to society. He emphasized the urgent need for a massive crackdown on drug smuggling and addiction.
IGP Ramthlengliana claimed that law enforcement agencies currently seize only ten percent of the drugs smuggled into Mizoram from Myanmar.
He added that the police will deploy thirty-two personnel to the Indo-Myanmar border areas to assist the Assam Rifles and local volunteers in controlling cross-border drug trafficking.
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Last week, a team led by Ramthlengliana, including police officials and members of the Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA), visited border villages in east Mizoram’s Champhai district and held discussions with local leaders regarding the upcoming operation.
According to Ramthlengliana, Champhai has become the main hub and entry point for drug trafficking. Of the 370 drug smuggling cases registered across the state last year, Champhai Police filed 170. He further noted that fifty percent of all drug-related cases this year have also been registered in Champhai.
Mizoram continues to grapple with rampant drug abuse and trafficking, especially from Southeast Asian countries, notably Myanmar, with which it shares a 510-kilometre-long porous border.
According to data from the state Excise and Narcotics Department, 51 people, including seven women, died of drug abuse between January and August 8 this year.
Over a five-year period from 2020 to August 2025, drug abuse has claimed 351 lives in the state, including 46 women. Heroin caused 78 of these deaths, while the use of multiple substances led to the remaining 273.
Police data reveals that Mizoram Police seized various narcotics, 2,350 kilograms of methamphetamine tablets, 89 kilograms of crystal meth, and 243 kilograms of heroin, worth Rs 770.95 crore between 2020 and May 2025.
The Excise and Narcotics Department also seized 212.987 kilograms of heroin, 568.991 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 1,566.662 kilograms of ganja during the same period, with a total estimated value of Rs 152.43 crore.
Authorities also arrested and booked 4,400 individuals under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act during this time.