Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has raised concern over the emergence of a new drug trafficking corridor linking Myanmar with Assam through Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district and Tinsukia.
Sarma said the development was a serious concern for Upper Assam, particularly as drug networks appear to be changing their routes in response to intensified enforcement. Investigations following the arrest of several suspected drug peddlers reportedly revealed the new corridor.
Previously, narcotics entering India from Myanmar were commonly associated with the Moreh route in Manipur. Authorities are now focusing greater attention on the Changlang corridor, which provides another potential entry point from Myanmar into northeastern India.
The Assam government has stepped up its anti narcotics operations in recent weeks, resulting in the seizure of large quantities of illegal drugs. Sarma said authorities recently confiscated narcotics valued at around ₹80 crore that were allegedly being transported towards Punjab.
Calling the emergence of the new corridor a “very worrying signal,” the chief minister said enforcement agencies would continue targeting drug networks regardless of the routes they adopt.
The development comes amid broader concerns over drug trafficking across India’s northeastern frontier with Myanmar. The region shares difficult and mountainous terrain with Myanmar, making border surveillance and the prevention of illegal movement particularly challenging.
Myanmar has historically been a major source of illicit opium and heroin, with the wider Golden Triangle region involving Myanmar, Thailand and Laos long associated with the production and trafficking of narcotics.
Arunachal Pradesh has also intensified its own crackdown on illegal drugs, with authorities arresting suspected traffickers and attempting to disrupt supply networks.
The remote terrain around the India Myanmar border, including areas connected to the historic Stilwell Road, has previously raised security concerns over possible cross border criminal activity.
Authorities are now expected to maintain heightened surveillance along the emerging corridor as Assam and Arunachal Pradesh work to prevent narcotics from reaching other parts of India.
