Security forces in Manipur have busted an inter-state drug trafficking module with suspected links to Myanmar, arresting two individuals and seizing 51 kilograms of opium valued at over ₹3 crore, officials said on Wednesday. The operation took place in Jiribam district along National Highway 37, a key transit route in the region.

According to a police official, the contraband was intercepted at Leingangpokpi village when security personnel stopped a truck suspected of carrying illegal drugs. The two occupants of the vehicle were detained on the spot. The arrested individuals have been identified as Sukhvinder Singh (30), a resident of Punjab, and Sandeep Singh Tilno (41), from Uttar Pradesh.

During the search operation, authorities recovered two carton boxes containing 51 kilograms of opium along with three mobile phones. Officials confirmed that the seized narcotics are estimated to have a street value exceeding ₹3 crore in the international market. The truck used for transporting the consignment was also confiscated as part of the crackdown.

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Preliminary investigations suggest that the drug shipment originated from Myanmar and was being transported through Manipur’s Jiribam district, which borders southern Assam and serves as a key corridor for cross-border movement. Security agencies believe the network is part of a larger trafficking chain operating across state and international borders.

Myanmar is known to be a major source of opium and heroin production, particularly in its northern regions such as Kachin and Shan states. Manipur, which shares a 398-kilometre unfenced international border with Myanmar across districts including Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Kamjong, and Ukhrul, has long faced challenges related to drug smuggling and transnational crime.

This seizure comes just a day after another major anti-narcotics operation in the state, where agencies including the Narcotics Control Bureau, Assam Rifles, and Manipur Police arrested two drug traffickers and recovered heroin worth ₹8.5 crore. Authorities say intensified joint operations are continuing to dismantle drug networks operating through the sensitive border region.

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