Shah Says Operation Trident Led to 18 Arrests

India’s home minister, Amit Shah, said Operation Trident led to 18 arrests and the freezing of 1,424 bank accounts in an anti-narcotics operation targeting an alleged international trafficking network. The coordinated raids took place October 23 at 38 locations in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur, according to the government announcement he made public October 25. Shah said the operation uncovered hawala transactions worth Rs 100 crore, led to the attachment of properties valued at Rs 17.82 crore, and resulted in the seizure of 500 detonators and Rs 12 lakh in cash. These figures were reported as results of the operation in his announcement. The supplied reports do not establish individual responsibility for the alleged offences or the basis for each financial measure. The government described the targeted network as trafficking narcotics between India, Myanmar and Bangladesh through what Shah called the “Death Triangle Corridor.” That characterization and the alleged route were presented as part of the government’s account; the reports do not independently establish the network’s full extent. The operation involved the Narcotics Control Bureau, Mizoram Police and the Enforcement...