GUWAHATI: Assam’s Special Task Force (STF) on Friday arrested three alleged drug traffickers and seized a substantial quantity of heroin valued at more than ₹3 crore in an intelligence-driven operation conducted in the state capital, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
In a post on X, the Chief Minister wrote: “In an excellent intel driven op earlier today, @STFAssam cracked down on 3 drug dealers who were carrying 379 grams of heroin valued at over ₹3cr. They have been apprehended and taken into custody for further action. #AssamAgainstDrugs continues unabated.”
Official police accounts place the net weight of the seized substance at approximately 397 grams. Acting on specific information about the movement of narcotics, STF teams intercepted a white Renault Triber (registration number AS 01 EL 7756) late on the night of August 27-28 at Sonkochi Path in Beharbari, under the jurisdiction of Basistha police station.
During the search of the vehicle, officers recovered 37 soap cases containing the suspected heroin packed inside two bags. In addition to the drugs, the team seized ₹21,000 in cash, several mobile handsets, SIM cards, the bags and the vehicle itself.
The three occupants of the car were arrested on the spot. They have been identified as Kiron Singha, 49, a resident of Bantarapur under Kachudram police station in Cachar district of Assam; S. Nengpi Vaiphei, 36, of Imphal East in Manipur; and Ngaineichong, 41, of Janglenphai village in Churachandpur district of Manipur.
According to STF SSP Pranab Kumar Pegu, preliminary information suggested that the two women accused had brought the consignment from Mizoram to Guwahati by train and were to hand it over to Singha. A formal case has been registered at the STF police station (Case No. 08/2026). Investigation is under way to establish the full chain of supply, the source of the drugs and their intended destination, as well as to identify other members of the network.
Photographs released along with the Chief Minister’s post show the seized packets neatly arranged on the road beside the intercepted vehicle, with the three accused (faces blurred) and STF personnel standing nearby under night lighting. One of the images also shows a digital weighing scale used at the scene.
The operation is the latest in a series of actions taken under the Assam government’s sustained anti-narcotics drive. The state administration has repeatedly emphasised a zero-tolerance approach towards drug trafficking, citing the threat it poses especially to the youth. Large quantities of heroin, ganja and other narcotics have been seized and destroyed in recent months as part of this campaign.
Officials said further leads from the Beharbari interception are being followed up, and more arrests cannot be ruled out as the investigation progresses.
