IMPHAL | The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested an alleged Myanmar-based drug kingpin from Manipur’s Churachandpur district, marking a significant breakthrough in efforts to dismantle an international narcotics trafficking network operating across the Northeast and neighbouring countries.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the NCB identified the accused as Nengzatuan alias Tuanpi, a resident of Haichin in Myanmar’s Chin State. The arrest was the culmination of months of intelligence gathering, technical surveillance, interstate coordination and sustained investigations conducted by the agency.

According to the NCB, Nengzatuan was one of the principal international suppliers operating from Chin State and played a key role in managing a cross-border drug trafficking network. The syndicate allegedly smuggled methamphetamine and heroin through Manipur, Mizoram, Assam and Tripura before distributing the contraband across various parts of India and Bangladesh.

The agency said the accused was wanted in multiple cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and is the main accused in three NCB cases involving the seizure of 28.22 kg of methamphetamine tablets and 1.278 kg of heroin, with an estimated market value exceeding ?25 crore.

NCB officials further revealed that Nengzatuan is linked to seven additional NDPS cases registered by Churachandpur Police, Singngat Police in Manipur and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

Investigations uncovered a highly organised trafficking network comprising international suppliers, cross-border couriers, transport coordinators, local facilitators, receivers and financial handlers. The syndicate allegedly operated across multiple states and international borders, enabling the movement of narcotics and laundering of illicit proceeds.

According to the NCB, the network has so far been linked to seizures of methamphetamine, heroin and proceeds of crime collectively valued at more than ?53 crore.

The bureau stated that it has systematically weakened the syndicate through a series of intelligence-driven operations conducted over the past several months. These operations led to the arrest of several key operatives in Manipur and Assam, significantly disrupting the trafficking chain.

Among those arrested earlier are Abdullah Ahmed of Silchar, Assam, who allegedly served as the principal receiver and coordinator of drug consignments entering the state, Lalthlamuong Pulamte of Churachandpur, Nengultinkhum Hrangngul of Pherzawl, and Paominlen Munlo of Churachandpur.

The latest arrest comes after the apprehension of Lalhmingsanga in March 2026 and Thancintuang alias Chintuang alias Tluanga in May 2026, both of whom were allegedly linked to the same trafficking network.

The NCB described the arrest as a major success in its ongoing campaign against cross-border narcotics trafficking in the Northeast, a region that remains vulnerable to drug smuggling due to its proximity to the infamous Golden Triangle, one of the world’s largest illicit drug-producing zones.

Officials said investigations are continuing to identify other members of the syndicate and trace the financial networks supporting the operation. The agency reiterated its commitment to intensifying action against transnational drug cartels and preventing the flow of narcotics into India through the Northeast corridor.