Burma-India-Bangladesh become ‘new golden triangle’ for drug trafficking, India urges for not taking involvement of Bangladeshi- PCJSS lightly

Suhas Chakma, Director of the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) in a social media post on Wednesday stated that “Chief Minister Lalduhoma of Mizoram and Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha of Tripura can ignore the alleged involvement of the Parbattya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh in drug trafficking at their own peril.

It is simply because the PCJSS’ supremo Jyotirindra Bodhipriyo Larma @ Santu Larma is the head of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council, a legally constituted local government body in one of the most hostile governments to India i.e. Interim government of Bangladesh headed by Dr Muhammad Yunus.

“The main risks from the failed States are terrorism/arms smuggling, drug smuggling and human trafficking. Burma, a classic failed State, was infamous for the Golden Triangle comprising parts of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. Today, Myanmar, India and Bangladesh have become the New Golden Triangle. Infamous drug lord of the Golden Triangle Khun Sa is no longer alive but surely, foreign armed groups' involvement in drug trafficking in India poses the most serious threat.” – wrote Mr Suhas Chakma.

The PCJSS was termed as a terrorist organisation by the Guwahati High Court in its judgment dated 05 September 2024 in the case of the National Investigation Agency versus Rohmingliana regarding seizure of a huge cache of arms of the PCJSS in 2013.

On 18 October 2025, the Bangladeshis security forces recovered 150 cartoons of Burmese cigarettes, 90 pieces of cosmetics, 90 bottles of country liquor and two pistols belonging to the PCJSS after a blogger alerted the authorities through a social media post. On 19 June 2025, the Assam Rifles seized Rs 10 crore drugs allegedly belonging to the PCJSS at Lunglei, Mizoram.

“A search of the status of cases filed before the Lunglei District and Sessions Courts shows that prior to 2024, no case was registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act against any Chakma. However, since the news about the PCJSS involvement started floating around in 2024, at least six cases under the NDPS Act [(NDPS)/31/2025 Lunglei Excise Versus Dippu Chakma; (NDPS)/12/2025 Lunglei Excise Versus Dippu Chakma; (NDPS)/29/2025 Barun Chakma; (NDPS)/55/2024 State of Mizoram Versus K. Lalawmpuia and Daniel Chakma; (NDPS)/66/2024 Nungnang Chakma and (NDPS)/66/2024 Sonatan Chakma) were registered before the Lunglei District and Sessions Court. Whether these drug trafficking cases are linked to the PCJSS shall never be found because across the world, couriers have no clue about the actual drug cartels. However, these cases are serious cause of concerns about the spread of the tentacles of the traffickers. “ – further wrote Mr Chakma.

Both Mizoram and Tripura have literally been flooded with drugs and are fighting a losing battle. Mizoram has become the entry point for drugs from Myanmar, and between January and September 2025, Mizoram’s Excise and Narcotics Department had registered 87 cases and arrested 112 people in connection with drug trafficking in Champhai district alone while over 8.7 kg of heroin and 86 kg of methamphetamine were recovered in Champhai district alone in 2024.

“Drug kills without any distinction and youths, the future of the country, are being destroyed. There are serious problems when a foreign armed group like the PCJSS, enjoying power in the one of the most hostile governments to India i.e. Bangladesh sitting in the State capitals engage in smuggling of everything from cows to cosmetics. It cannot be dealt with usual approaches.”- urged Mr Chakma.