Open any local news portal in Northeast India, and one is almost certain to find at least one report on a drug seizure somewhere in the region. Methamphetamine, heroin, opium and Yaba have become as familiar in everyday conversation as discussions about sports or music.
The drug trade is no longer a distant issue; it is right in front of us. Drug seizures are not new to Northeast India. Owing to its proximity to the notorious Golden Triangle, comprising Myanmar, Thailand and Laos, one of the world’s largest illicit drug-producing regions, the Northeast has long been a transit corridor for narcotics trafficking.
Many of us grew up hearing news of occasional drug busts and smuggling operations. What has changed, however, is not merely the existence of the trade but its scale, frequency and visibility.
June this year alone offers a glimpse into the magnitude of the problem. In Mizoram, police seized methamphetamine tablets weighing approximately 23.855 kilograms, with an estimated market value of ₹1.69 crore.
In Assam, the Special Task Force (STF) and Kamrup Police intercepted a bus at Amingaon and recovered 2.5 kilograms of heroin and 8 kilograms of opium concealed in a secret compartment, leading to the arrest of five individuals from Manipur.
In Jiribam, Assam Rifles and state police apprehended a suspect transporting 400,000 Yaba tablets worth nearly ₹47 crore. Meanwhile, in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district, Assam Rifles and the Excise and Narcotics Department foiled another trafficking attempt, seizing 100,000 methamphetamine tablets valued at around ₹30 crore and arresting two individuals.
Beyond the issue of trafficking, there is another worrying trend that receives far less attention: the growing number of drug users within the region itself. The region is no longer merely a transit corridor for narcotics destined for other markets; it is increasingly becoming a site of consumption.
According to a 2019 study on the Magnitude of Substance Use in India, almost all the Northeast States have a high prevalence of substance abuse. Across the region, states are reporting rising numbers of people struggling with substance abuse, particularly among young people, placing immense pressure on families, communities, and already overstretched rehabilitation facilities.
This trend also carries serious health implications. For decades, the region has recorded some of the highest incidences of HIV cases in the country, with injecting drug use identified as a major route of transmission.
These statistics, coupled with the steady stream of drug seizures, reveal the pervasive nature of the crisis. Yet perhaps the most alarming aspect of the problem is how normalised it has become. Drug-related arrests, seizures, overdoses and addiction stories appear so frequently in the news that they barely provoke public outrage anymore.
We acknowledge the problem, discuss it briefly, and move on. Time and again, the intensity of the problem has been discussed by both Union and State ministers of the region, the most recent being a “declaration of war” on drugs in May 2026, at the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) headquarters by Union minister Amit Shah, while also reassuring that India will be drug-free by 2047.
Various state ministers are also very vocal regarding the ongoing seizure of drugs and the mission to eradicate the drug problem, indicating that the government is also taking it seriously.
However, real change cannot be driven from the top alone; it must be rooted in local voices that understand communities’ vulnerabilities, entry points, cultural leanings or prejudices in which drug abuse takes place.
Why are we not more furious about what is unfolding before us? Why are we not demanding greater accountability from our elected representatives for the inadequacy of existing policies and interventions? What is the community’s role in the so-called “war on drugs”?
Why are we not marching in the streets and demanding urgent, sustained action? More importantly, are we investing enough in prevention, awareness, rehabilitation and community-based support systems?
Are our rehabilitation centres adequately staffed, funded and equipped to address the growing number of people seeking help? How effectively are schools and colleges equipped to address substance abuse among young people?
The drug crisis in Northeast India cannot be addressed through seizures and arrests alone. While law enforcement plays a critical role, an effective response must also confront the social, economic and public health dimensions of addiction.
Until the issue becomes a sustained public concern rather than a series of headlines, the region risks continuing to treat the symptoms while ignoring the deeper causes of the crisis.
Views expressed are that of the author and do not reflect EastMojo’s stance on this or any other issue. Dr Embassy Lawbei teaches at the Department of Liberal Arts, CHRIST University. Dr Namrata Borkotoky teaches at the Department of Liberal Arts, CHRIST University.
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