The Enforcement Directorate has dismantled an extensive hawala network connected to the cross-border trafficking of narcotics along the international boundary between India and Myanmar across Mizoram and Manipur. According to an official agency statement released on Sunday, the coordinated crackdown led to the arrest of six individuals, the freezing of 1,424 bank accounts, and the provisional attachment of assets valued at Rs 26.01 crore.
Coordinated Raids Across Multiple Locations
The coordinated search operations commenced on Friday, targeting multiple locations across Aizawl, Champhai, and Lawngtlai in Mizoram, alongside Churachandpur in Manipur. The agency stated that this enforcement action was part of three distinct money laundering investigations tied to the trafficking of heroin, brown sugar, and methamphetamine tablets originating from Myanmar. The premises subjected to searches included locations linked to hawala operators, holders of mule bank accounts, front business entities, and a mini-ATM counter situated across the four specified districts. Furthermore, bank branches maintaining pivotal accounts associated with the suspected illicit network were also inspected during the sweeps.
Inter-Agency Collaboration and Seizures
The operation was executed in close collaboration with the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Mizoram Police force. During these searches, authorities froze 1,424 bank accounts allegedly connected to the narcotics trade and hawala operators operating within Mizoram and Manipur. Additionally, assets amounting to Rs 26.01 crore were provisionally attached under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Six people were taken into custody in connection with these ongoing probes, comprising three suspects from Mizoram and three from Manipur.
Porous Border Dynamics and Smuggling Routes
Characterizing the 1,643-kilometer India-Myanmar boundary as highly porous, the agency noted that the terrain facilitates the movement of illicit substances in both directions, particularly through Mizoram's Champhai-Zokhawthar sector. Precursor chemicals utilized for diluting drugs are transported from India into Myanmar, while finished narcotics manufactured in Myanmar, including heroin, brown sugar, and methamphetamine tablets, are smuggled back into Indian territory. These illicit consignments cross the Tiau river at Zokhawthar, situated opposite Khawmawi in Myanmar, before being moved onward to Champhai. From there, the shipments travel along the Champhai-Aizawl road and National Highway 6A towards Aizawl, Vairengte, and the adjoining borders of Assam and Tripura. The agency further stated that the narcotics entering Mizoram and Manipur are either consumed locally or transited through Assam to reach other regions of India and neighboring Bangladesh. The financial proceeds generated from this drug trade are subsequently channeled back to border towns in Mizoram to settle financial liabilities with suppliers based in Myanmar. Investigators also revealed that individuals holding mule bank accounts admitted during questioning to renting out their personal accounts to suspected narco-hawala operators in exchange for a commission of Rs 500 per lakh.
