Explainer: Myanmar as new drug threat
Porous borders, Free Movement Regime make Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland major transit points
Updated At : 07:15 AM Jul 04, 2026 IST
According to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Myanmar’s illicit opium cultivation expanded significantly between 2021 and 2023, growing from 30,200 to 47,100 hectares. Istock
The Northeastern states of Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland are facing acute frontline exposure to a surge in illicit drug production from Myanmar. Historically viewed as peripheral transit zones, these states have emerged as active staging grounds for distribution of narcotics.
