ED cracks cross-border narco-hawala ring spanning Manipur, Mizoram

A major investigation by the Enforcement Directorate has dismantled a sophisticated cross-border narco-hawala operation spanning Manipur and Mizoram, resulting in six arrests and the seizure of more than 1,400 bank accounts. The action targets an organized network allegedly involved in both illicit drug trafficking and illegal money remittance activities across the region.

The frozen accounts belonged to suspected narco-trade operators, hawala money transfer agents, as well as mule account holders and beneficiaries connected to the illicit scheme. The scale of the operation underscores the nexus between drug smuggling and underground financial channels in India's Northeast, a region long plagued by cross-border trafficking.

The ED's investigation revealed how operatives moved proceeds from narcotics sales through multiple bank accounts, employing conventional hawala methods to transfer money across borders while evading regulatory oversight. The use of multiple intermediaries and mule accounts allowed the network to obscure the origins of illicit funds and complicate tracking efforts.

The arrests and asset seizures represent a significant blow to organized smuggling operations in the Northeast. Authorities have intensified scrutiny of financial flows in border regions as part of broader efforts to combat the interlinked threats of drug trafficking and money laundering affecting states like Manipur and Mizoram.