Security forces and police carried out a major drug seizure in Assam’s Sribhumi district on Friday, September 18. The joint operation recovered 17,000 Yaba tablets from the Gangpar area. Authorities estimated the value of the seized drugs at around Rs 1.17 crore.
The Border Security Force (BSF) and Sribhumi Police worked together during the operation. Officials recovered the consignment after receiving information about the suspected movement of narcotics in the area.
Authorities found the tablets abandoned at the site. The person allegedly linked to the consignment had already fled before the security teams reached the location.
Suspected Owner Flees the Area
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared details of the seizure in a post on X. He said the owner of the consignment had allegedly absconded after abandoning the drugs.
Sarma used a reference to the Hindi film Mr. India while describing the development. He wrote that the “owner became Mr. India” while the Rs 1.17 crore worth of drugs did not disappear.
The authorities have not yet publicly identified the person allegedly connected with the consignment. Investigators are now working to establish who owned the tablets and who was involved in transporting them.
Investigation Underway
Following the recovery, law enforcement agencies launched an investigation into the abandoned Yaba consignment. Officials are attempting to trace the people behind the shipment and determine its intended destination.
Investigators are also expected to examine the route through which the drugs reached Sribhumi. The district’s location near the international border makes it an important area for security agencies monitoring cross-border smuggling and illegal trafficking.
Authorities will also seek to establish whether the seized tablets formed part of a larger trafficking network.
What Is Yaba?
Yaba is a synthetic drug commonly produced in tablet form. It generally contains methamphetamine and caffeine. The drug remains illegal in India and is associated with illicit trafficking networks in parts of South and Southeast Asia.
Law enforcement agencies across northeastern India have continued to conduct operations against Yaba trafficking. The region’s proximity to international borders makes it an important transit area for narcotics moving through established trafficking routes.
The latest seizure in Sribhumi adds to a series of major narcotics recoveries reported in Assam in recent months.
Assam Steps Up Anti-Drug Operations
The latest Sribhumi Yaba seizure comes amid increased action by security agencies against drug trafficking in Assam.
Earlier this year, Sribhumi Police carried out separate operations that resulted in the recovery of thousands of Yaba tablets. In June, police seized a combined 65,000 Yaba tablets during two operations in the Sherpur and Kaliganj areas. Authorities arrested four people in connection with those seizures.
The repeated recoveries highlight the continued presence of narcotics trafficking networks in the region. Police and security agencies have been using intelligence inputs and coordinated operations to intercept drug consignments.
Major Yaba Seizures Reported in Barak Valley
The latest recovery also comes shortly after other major Yaba seizures in Assam’s Barak Valley.
On September 16, the Assam Rifles and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized 109.2 kg of Yaba tablets worth an estimated Rs 327 crore in Hailakandi district. The operation took place in the Ramnathpur area near the Mizoram border. Authorities arrested one person and recovered the drugs packed in 546 packets.
Officials described the Hailakandi operation as one of the largest Yaba recoveries in the region. They also seized two trucks, a mobile phone, an Aadhaar card and a driving licence during the operation.
Another major seizure took place in Cachar district in August. Security personnel recovered around 60 kg of Yaba tablets valued at approximately Rs 168 crore and arrested one person.
Border Routes Under Security Watch
Security agencies have continued to focus on border areas across Assam and neighbouring northeastern states. Officials have previously identified routes linked to the borders with Myanmar as potential channels for narcotics trafficking.
Drug consignments can move through multiple states before reaching their final destinations. This makes coordination between agencies particularly important during investigations.
The latest operation in Sribhumi involved both BSF personnel and district police. Such coordination allows security agencies to combine intelligence gathering, surveillance and ground-level enforcement.
Authorities Search for Those Behind the Consignment
The recovery of abandoned drugs has now shifted the focus of investigators towards identifying the people responsible for the consignment.
Police will likely examine available intelligence and other evidence to establish how the tablets reached Gangpar. Investigators will also try to determine who planned the transportation and where the drugs were supposed to go.
The person allegedly linked to the consignment remains absconding, according to the Chief Minister’s account. Authorities are continuing efforts to trace the individual and identify other possible members of the network.
Crackdown Continues Across Assam
The Rs 1.17 crore Yaba seizure in Sribhumi adds to a series of significant narcotics recoveries across Assam. Recent operations in Sribhumi, Cachar and Hailakandi have resulted in the seizure of large quantities of Yaba.
For law enforcement agencies, these operations remain part of a broader effort to disrupt the supply and movement of illegal drugs through the Northeast.
With the investigation into the latest seizure continuing, authorities are now focusing on tracing the suspected owner and uncovering the wider network behind the abandoned 17,000-tablet consignment.