Manipur CM says drug trafficking routes have changed after 2023 crisis, largely diverting through Mizoram

On the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (26 June), state authorities revealed that drug trafficking routes throug...

What Happened

On the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (26 June), state authorities revealed that drug trafficking routes through Northeast India have undergone a major shift following the 2023 ethnic crisis in Manipur.
Trafficking networks — previously routing narcotics from Myanmar through Manipur's established corridors like Moreh — have largely diverted transit through Mizoram, exploiting the Chin State (Myanmar) border with Mizoram.
Traffickers constructed a 10-km excavated pathway from the Myanmar international border to the nearest habitation in Chin State, enabling uninterrupted drug movement circumventing the conflict-affected Manipur corridor.
Smaller consignments continue to move from Moreh to Churachandpur via roads constructed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), with Kwakta in Bishnupur district identified as the primary distribution node.
A concerning new pattern has emerged: drug peddlers are extending credit to young users — making narcotics initially available without upfront payment to expand the user base — with pronounced penetration reported in rural areas.

Static Topic Bridges

NDPS Act, 1985 — Statutory Framework for Drug Control

The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 is the primary legislation governing drug control in India. It received presidential assent on 16 September 1985 and came into force on 14 November 1985.

Scope: Prohibits production, manufacture, cultivation, possession, sale, purchase, transport, storage, and consumption of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance without authorisation.
Penal framework (quantity-based):
Small quantity: imprisonment up to 6 months to 2 years + fine.
More than small quantity (but less than commercial): imprisonment up to 10 years + fine.
Commercial quantity: imprisonment 10 years to life imprisonment + substantial fine.
Amendments: 1988, 2001, 2014, and 2021. The 2021 amendment removed mandatory death sentence for repeat trafficking offences, granting courts discretion to impose 30 years imprisonment instead.
Narco-terrorism linkage: The Act recognises the connection between drug trafficking, money laundering, and terrorist financing — drug trade finances insurgent and terrorist organisations in Northeast India.
Enforcement: NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) at the central level; state police and excise departments at the state level.

Connection to this news: The route shift through Mizoram and credit-based peddling are manifestations of the organised trafficking networks the NDPS Act targets. The narco-trafficking dynamic in Manipur-Mizoram directly funds insurgent groups — making NDPS enforcement an internal security imperative, not merely a law enforcement matter.

The Golden Triangle and India's Northeast Drug Corridor

The Golden Triangle — comprising parts of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand — is the world's second-largest illicit opium-producing region and the largest producer of synthetic drugs (methamphetamine/yaba) in Asia. India's northeastern states are a primary transit and consumption zone.

Myanmar's role post-2021 coup: Following the military takeover in February 2021, drug production in Myanmar has surged due to breakdown of state control over border regions. A record 236 tonnes of methamphetamine were seized across East and Southeast Asia in 2024 — a 24% increase year-on-year.
Entry points into India: Moreh (Manipur)-Tamu (Myanmar) is the traditional land entry; Champhai (Mizoram)-Zokhawthar (Myanmar) has gained prominence post-2023.
Drugs transited: Heroin (from opium cultivation in Sagaing and Shan states, Myanmar), methamphetamine tablets (yaba), and ATS (amphetamine-type stimulants).
Insurgency-narco nexus: Multiple insurgent groups in Northeast India — including factions in Manipur and Nagaland — have shifted from ideological movements to organized crime syndicates financing operations through narco-trafficking and extortion.
Kinship networks: Cross-border ethnic and tribal kinship ties (Zo/Mizo/Chin communities spanning India-Myanmar; Kuki-Zo linkages) are exploited by trafficking networks for trust-based smuggling operations.

Connection to this news: The 2023 ethnic crisis in Manipur disrupted the established Moreh-based trafficking corridor, causing networks to activate the Mizoram-Chin State route — leveraging the Zo/Mizo-Chin cross-border kinship network as a new operational infrastructure.

Narco-Terrorism and Border Management Framework

Narco-terrorism refers to the use of drug trafficking proceeds to fund terrorist and insurgent activities, and the use of violence by drug trafficking organizations to protect their operations. In the Northeast India context, the two phenomena are deeply intertwined.

Relevant Acts: NDPS Act 1985 (drug offences); UAPA 2019 (unlawful association/terror funding); Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 (PMLA — laundering drug proceeds); AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) — operative in parts of Manipur and Nagaland.
Assam Rifles (paramilitary): Primary counter-insurgency and border management force along the India-Myanmar border; operates under dual command (MHA for internal security; MoD for operational control).
India-Myanmar border: ~1,643 km, largely unfenced and porous; Free Movement Regime (FMR) allowed tribal communities on both sides to move up to 16 km across the border without documentation (India unilaterally suspended FMR in 2023 following Manipur crisis, and initiated fencing).
Sixth Schedule of the Constitution: Provides autonomous district councils in tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram — the governance framework affects the administrative reach of state police in these regions, creating enforcement gaps that trafficking networks exploit.
PMGSY roads: While built for rural connectivity, they have inadvertently provided improved logistics for trafficking networks within Manipur's interior — a dual-use infrastructure challenge noted in security assessments.

Connection to this news: The exploitation of PMGSY roads for drug distribution within Manipur, and the use of excavator-built border pathways, illustrates how insurgent and trafficking networks rapidly adapt to physical and security landscape changes. The suspension of FMR and ongoing fencing are direct policy responses to exactly this threat.

Key Facts & Data

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking: 26 June (UN observance since 1987).
Primary legislation: NDPS Act, 1985 (effective 14 November 1985); amended 1988, 2001, 2014, 2021.
Central enforcement body: Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), under Ministry of Home Affairs.
Golden Triangle: Myanmar, Laos, Thailand — world's largest synthetic drug (methamphetamine) producer.
Myanmar post-coup drug surge: 236 tonnes methamphetamine seized in East/Southeast Asia in 2024 (+24% YoY).
Traditional India entry point: Moreh (Manipur) — Tamu (Myanmar) border crossing.
New route post-2023: Mizoram — Chin State (Myanmar) corridor.
Internal distribution node: Kwakta, Bishnupur district, Manipur.
Road infrastructure exploited: PMGSY roads (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) — Moreh to Churachandpur.
New trafficking tactic: Credit-based peddling to expand youth user base.
India-Myanmar border length: ~1,643 km.
Free Movement Regime (FMR): Suspended by India in 2023; fencing of India-Myanmar border initiated.
Paramilitary force: Assam Rifles — primary border security force on India-Myanmar frontier.
Constitutional provision: Sixth Schedule (tribal autonomous districts in northeast) — affects enforcement jurisdiction.
AFSPA operative areas: Parts of Manipur, Nagaland — extended powers for security forces in disturbed areas.