In 2026, the Meghalaya Police Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) stepped up its work along the main drug routes. They seized large amounts of heroin and synthetic drugs. The biggest catch was on 6 March 2026: over 10 kilograms of crystal meth. This is a clear sign that Meghalaya is no longer just a stopover for drugs. It is fast becoming a big market itself.
Earlier, drugs from states on the Myanmar border used to just pass through Meghalaya on their way to Assam and Bangladesh. Now, things have changed. Criminal groups are setting up shop in cities like Shillong. More people are using drugs locally. The numbers tell the story: drug seizures jumped from about 1,400 kilograms in 2023 to over 5,000 kilograms in 2024. To deal with this, the state started the ANTF and the DREAM project. The idea is to go after the money behind the drug trade and help people get off drugs. Both local sellers and outside financiers are in their sights.
The way the Meghalaya Police ANTF is working now shows that things have changed in the region. Drug traffickers are using National Highway-06 to set up permanent bases. Meghalaya is no longer just a route for drugs; it is now a market. This makes the security situation more complicated. The old insurgent groups like the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council are not the main problem anymore. Now, the ANTF in Shillong is up against scattered, money-driven gangs instead of organised, political groups.
Because these criminal groups are scattered, the job of fighting drugs now falls more on local communities and district officials. The DREAM project is growing in the Garo Hills, showing that the state is trying new ways to deal with the problem without just using force. In the end, whether these efforts work or not depends on whether the Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) can cut off the money that keeps these drug networks alive.
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