The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday carried out searches at four locations across Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation linked to a major narcotics seizure made by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) last year. Officials said the searches were conducted under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, following an ED case registered on the basis of an NCB complaint. The case relates to the seizure of 49.101 kg of methamphetamine and 40 grams of heroin in Tripura on August 21, 2025. According to officials, the operation targeted premises located in sensitive border areas. In Tripura, the searched property is situated about 200 metres from the Bangladesh border, while the location covered in Mizoram lies around 500 metres from the Myanmar border. Another site in West Bengal was also searched during the coordinated operation.
Investigators suspect the involvement of an organised cross-border drug trafficking network operating through India’s eastern frontier. Preliminary findings indicate that methamphetamine was allegedly sourced from Myanmar and transported through the Champhai-Zokhawthar sector in Mizoram before being delivered to recipients in Tripura. Officials said the agency is now focusing on tracing the financial trail generated through the alleged narcotics trade. The ED is examining documents, financial records and other materials recovered during the searches to identify individuals and entities linked to the suspected network. The investigation has so far revealed that proceeds of crime worth nearly Rs 142 crore were allegedly routed through multiple bank accounts and shell entities in an attempt to conceal the source of the funds. The agency believes these transactions may have been used to layer and move money generated from illegal drug trafficking activities.
The latest action highlights the growing focus of enforcement agencies on dismantling not only drug trafficking networks but also the financial structures that support such operations. Officials said the investigation remains underway and further action may follow based on evidence gathered during the searches. More details are expected as the ED continues its probe into the suspected cross-border narcotics and money laundering network operating along the Bangladesh and Myanmar borders.
