Over 26,500 arrested as Assam intensifies war on drugs since 2021

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said over 26,500 people have been arrested and drugs worth Rs 3,253 crore seized in the State since 2021. He attributed the crackdown to sustained policing, inter-State coordination and Centre-backed surveillance

Guwahati: More than 26,500 people have been arrested and drugs worth Rs 3,253 crore seized across Assam since 2021, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday.

He said huge quantities of narcotic substances originate in Myanmar, and enter Assam through various routes in Mizoram and Manipur for further distribution in the rest of India.

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“Since 2021, with a single-minded focus on our mission #AssamAgainstDrugs, our police and allied agencies have waged a relentless, daily battle against the narcotics trade. The numbers tell their own story — narcotics worth more than Rs 3,253 crore seized, and over 26,500 offenders arrested since the campaign began,” Sarma said in a social media post.

He said the number of arrests has climbed steadily each year from 4,175 in 2021 to 4,901 in 2025, asserting this was not a one-time drive but a “sustained and institutionalised war” on drugs.

In 2021, Sarma became the chief minister for the first time after the BJP came to power in Assam for the second consecutive term.

Talking about the origin and route of the drug movement, the CM said, “Assam sits on a difficult geography — a transit corridor for narcotics originating in Myanmar and routed through Mizoram and Manipur before moving deeper into the country.”

Kingpins often operate beyond our borders, which is precisely why this cannot be Assam’s fight alone, he said.

“This is where the prime minister’s leadership and the Centre’s unwavering support have made a real difference — intensified coordination with Myanmar, strengthened surveillance along inter-state borders, sharper intelligence sharing and deployment of technology that helps our forces intercept consignments before they spread further,” Sarma said.

He further said that the Assam Police have not worked in isolation, but have worked as an extension of a national resolve to eliminate the menace of drugs.