Peddlers, Needles and HIV: Assam’s Drug Menace Spirals Out of Control

The silent menace of drugs in Assam is no longer just about addiction—it is fast mutating into a public health emergency. Across the state, the spread of HIV among drug users has reached alarming levels, even as police continue to battle traffickers, peddlers, and shady networks thriving on human vulnerability.

The picture was on grim display this week at Khanapara ISBT, where Basistha police rescued six drug addicts and sent them to rehabilitation centres. For passersby, it was another disturbing reminder that a major transit hub has also become a visible hotspot of narcotics abuse. The addicts, visibly fragile and broken, had all been supplied by notorious peddler Putu Sangma alias Putu Chetri, who was later arrested from Meghalaya with 28 grams of heroin in his possession.

Police admitted that the Khanapara stretch remains a challenging zone, falling under the overlapping jurisdictions of Basistha PS, Dispur PS, and Meghalaya’s Khanapara PS. Despite repeated raids and seizures, the flow of drugs has not completely stopped. “We have managed to reduce open abuse, but unless addicts are brought back to normal life, the problem will keep resurfacing,” a senior officer remarked.

But the menace is not confined to the capital. A closer look at Assam’s districts paints an even darker reality.

• Barpeta: The district has emerged as one of the worst-hit, with 584 HIV-positive cases detected so far. Shockingly, at least 131 patients contracted the virus through injecting drug use (IDU), a trend that marks a shift from earlier years when unsafe sex was the primary cause. Most of the IDU cases involve youths aged 17–30. Already, 63 people in Barpeta have died of HIV/AIDS, underscoring the severity.

• Chapar (Dhubri district): At the Chapar Primary Health Centre, doctors are reporting an increase in HIV among young people, with cases traced to repeated syringe use among drug addicts. Senior physician Dr. Abul Kalam Azad confirmed that even pregnant women have tested positive, raising fears of mother-to-child transmission.

• Dhubri district (overall): The district has seen fluctuating but persistently high numbers. More than 250 patients were identified last year, while the current year has already crossed 150 cases. At the Dhubri Medical College alone, doctors are detecting 20–25 new HIV cases every month, most linked to drug addiction. Initial awareness drives by the administration, police, and health department have now stalled, leaving campaigners worried.

• Mariani (Jorhat-Nagaland border): In a tea estate along the Assam-Nagaland border, health officials recorded 40 HIV-positive cases within a single year. Unsafe sexual practices have been identified as the main cause. “The numbers are steadily rising within the estate community, and there is urgent need for intervention,” a local health worker said.

• Sonitpur: Between April and July 2025, 226 new HIV cases were detected, most among injectable drug users. Migrant workers frequently traveling to Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland are considered at higher risk.

• Nalbari: Nearly 500 people are currently living with HIV, with most cases directly tied to drug abuse.

• Darrang: The district has recorded 347 cases, with 15 new patients in July 2025 alone. Authorities have launched a 60-day Intensified IEC Campaign to raise awareness.

• Jonai (Dhemaji district): Surveys at six rehabilitation centres found 14 HIV-positive patients, mostly among recovering addicts.

• Doboka (Hojai district): Local youth activist Sabu Siddique has been raising alarm after three of his close friends tested positive, organizing awareness camps to warn others.

Doctors warn that Assam is staring at a dangerous convergence—where drug addiction fuels HIV transmission, leaving the state’s youth doubly vulnerable. “It’s not just about narcotics anymore; we are watching an epidemic unfold,” one health official cautioned.

Even as the police fight the drug trade, a parallel scandal has exposed how criminal networks exploit loopholes in other sectors.

Speaking to the media, DCP Mrinal Deka confirmed the arrest of Asim Kumar Nath, director of an NGO called We Care in the Guwahati city. The organisation, he said, supplied domestic workers with forged Aadhaar cards and fake identities, raising concerns about deeper fraudulent networks.

“This NGO was functioning under the guise of welfare but was involved in identity fraud. The director has been arrested by Dispur police, and further investigation is on,” Deka said.

Taken together, the developments underscore a harsh truth: Assam’s drug crisis is not an isolated law-and-order problem. It is entwined with public health, cross-border trafficking, and organised fraud. For every addict rescued at ISBT, dozens more continue to inject poison into their veins in villages and towns, fuelling the spread of HIV. And for every peddler caught with heroin sachets, bigger networks remain entrenched.

The police can seize drugs, and doctors can treat patients—but unless Assam mounts a coordinated war against narcotics while investing in rehabilitation, awareness, and prevention, the state risks losing an entire generation to the double burden of addiction and HIV.

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