Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launches Assam’s State-level drug disposal programme by driving a road roller over bottles of seized cough syrups and other psychotropic substances.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday (July 12, 2026) announced a “ruthless’ drive against drug trafficking and said inter-State coordination to break the backbone of the drug cartels improved after the installation of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal.
Launching a State-level drugs disposal campaign at the 14th Assam Police Battalion headquarters in Nalbari district’s Daulasal, he said seized drugs worth ₹472.51 crore would be destroyed across nine districts. Daulasal is about 75 km west of Guwahati.
He initiated the incineration of a portion of the seized heroin, cannabis, methamphetamine, and other drugs and drove a road roller to crush bottles of illegal cough syrups.
Mr. Sarma told journalists that a joint approach between the Centre and Assam would help track the illicit movement of substances, identify history sheeters, nab traffickers at the borders before they enter the State and prepare a strong case to prosecute them.
“We will be ruthless in this fight against drugs. It is a promise and warning,” he said.
He said the State police and other agencies seized drugs and psychotropic substances worth ₹3,227 crore and registered 3,300 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in Assam over the past five years.
Used as a transit
Mr. Sarma said the trafficking of drugs from Myanmar via Manipur and Mizoram had been a matter of concern, as Assam was slowly being used as a transit. From Assam, they were trafficked to West Bengal and then to other parts of the country.
“The inter-State understanding has improved, especially after the BJP formed the government in West Bengal. Better inter-State coordination is important for establishing forward and backward linkages, because the war against drugs does not end with the arrest of a trafficker,” he said.
He explained that the linkages — origin and destination of a consignment — go beyond Assam’s geography, making a coordinated pan-India fight important to tackle the problem.
“The inter-State coordination is being strengthened under [Union Home Minister] Amit Shah ji, who regularly meets agencies fighting against drugs,” the Chief Minister said.
To a question, he said the drug problem could not be tackled merely by fencing the Myanmar border, as heroin or cocaine could still be smuggled using drones and other methods, such as throwing packets across the border with the help of stones. He, however, believed that fencing would help check infiltration.
“The war against drugs goes beyond fencing. You need technology to intercept drones and trace their launching sites. The strategies used by drug traffickers are much deeper than fencing,” he said.
“Fencing gives you a physical barrier, but you have to create barriers against drones and intercept movement of people. You also have to develop human intelligence,” he added.
Mr. Sarma further said that the Centre had been in touch with the Myanmar authorities and strengthening the border points in Manipur and Mizoram.
“I am sure that the war against drugs will get further intensified with the help of our international partners. Given the kind of intelligence and technology that the government of India now has, I am confident that we will be able to work much more effectively,” he said.
Citing a modus operandi used by drug traffickers, he said many were arrested in the past when they were trafficking drugs concealed under adhesive plasters on their limbs. He also said women and children were being used by traffickers to transport drugs in small quantities, making it difficult for the enforcement agencies to detect.
Published – July 12, 2026 10:42 pm IST
