Aizawl, September 30 (Daily Kiran) : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a significant operation in Mizoram targeting organized cross-border drug trafficking and money laundering. As part of this effort, the agency has temporarily seized ₹4.76 crore from 22 bank accounts under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The ED’s Aizawl sub-regional office took this action following an interim attachment order issued on September 28. This investigation was prompted by a prosecution complaint filed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) from its Agartala zonal unit.
The initial crime was linked to a joint operation conducted on August 21, 2025, between Keifang and Selin in Mizoram, which resulted in the seizure of 49.101 kilograms of methamphetamine tablets and 40 grams of heroin. The NCB’s probe revealed the involvement of an organized drug trafficking network active across international and interstate borders.
Further investigations indicated that the drugs were allegedly sourced from Myanmar and transported into Mizoram via the India-Myanmar border. From there, they were distributed to recipients and operators throughout other regions of India.
The inquiry also uncovered the roles of Myanmar-based suppliers, local coordinators, transporters, escort vehicles, and recipients in the smuggling operation. Funds generated from the illegal drug trade were reportedly collected, transferred, and distributed through a network of bank accounts operated under various individuals and business entities.
Evidence suggested the use of an organized hawala network for receiving, transferring, and settling the proceeds from drug trafficking. The investigation recorded substantial deposits in several accounts, frequent cash deposits, and rapid transfers, all of which appeared disproportionate to the declared business profiles of the account holders.
Additionally, the investigation identified Thangchintuang, a Myanmar national, as the main mastermind behind the drug trafficking network, involved in the procurement, supply, transportation, and financial settlement of drugs into India. He was arrested by the NCB in May 2026 and later incarcerated in Aizawl’s central jail.
In his statement, Chintuang admitted his involvement in the procurement and supply of heroin and methamphetamine from Myanmar, revealing that he had collaborated with associates to send the consignment intercepted by the NCB on August 21, 2025.
He disclosed the operational methods of the trafficking network, which included purchasing drugs from Myanmar suppliers, transporting them through remote routes along the India-Myanmar border, delivering to Indian recipients, and the processes for settling the proceeds from drug trafficking. He also provided details of several Indian bank accounts used to manage the illicit funds.
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