Operation Trident: Home Ministry reports searches at 38 locations across three northeastern states

The Narcotics Control Bureau led coordinated searches at 38 locations across Assam, Mizoram and Manipur on 23 October 2026 under Operation Trident, according to a Home Ministry release published through PIB on 25 October. The ministry says 38 multi-agency teams took part in the operation.

The release reports 18 arrests, the freezing of 1,424 bank accounts, attachment of properties valued at ₹17.82 crore, and seizure of 500 detonators and ₹12 lakh in cash. These are figures reported by the authorities. Frozen accounts, attached property and seized cash are different categories and should not be combined as a single cash recovery.

The ministry describes the action as part of an investigation into an alleged cross-border drug-trafficking and financial network. It says NCB worked with Mizoram Police and the Enforcement Directorate, alongside other central and state personnel, to examine both trafficking links and financial flows.

The announcement also recounts earlier arrests and investigations, including a hawala probe dating to 2024. That background should not be presented as if every earlier arrest or transaction was newly detected during the October 23 searches. The release does not report a final court conviction arising from this operation.

Source: Ministry of Home Affairs, Press Information Bureau, release dated 25 October 2026. Original KROV English reporting and Telugu adaptation; allegations and enforcement figures are attributed to the ministry.