Drugs valued at INR 11 crore seized in Assam and Manipur; four arrested

GUWAHATI/IMPHAL — Drugs valued at INR 11 crore were seized by the security forces, and four people were arrested in Assam and Manipur, officials said on Tuesday.

Superintendent of Police of the Cachar district of Assam, Numal Mahatta, said that based on credible intelligence, Assam police launched a special operation on Monday night against the illegal transportation of narcotic substances on the Silchar-Aizawl By-Pass road under the jurisdiction of Silchar Police station in Cachar district.

He said that subsequently, the police personnel intercepted a truck coming from the Mizoram capital, Aizawl, and during a search of the vehicle, 30,000 highly addictive methamphetamine tablets were recovered.

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The drugs, valued at about INR 9 crores, were contained in three black polythene wrapped packets and the narcotics were kept in the specially made secret chambers in the truck. The vehicle used in the illegal transportation of narcotics has been seized.

The narcotic substances have been seized in the presence of independent witnesses, the district police chief said, adding that the examination carried out by the drug detection kit showed positive results for methamphetamine.

During preliminary investigation, it has come to light that the illegal substance has been transported from the Mizoram capital, Aizawl.

Further investigation into the case has been ongoing, Mahatta said.

Another police official said that the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar and then ferried to Assam via Mizoram.

Myanmar's Chin state is a hub for the smuggling of varied drugs, exotic wildlife animals and many other contraband through six Mizoram districts -- Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual and Serchhip.

A variety of drugs, especially highly addictive methamphetamine tablets, heroin, arms and ammunition, explosives, and different types of contraband, including exotic animals, are often illegally traded through six districts in Mizoram, which shares a 210 km unfenced border with Myanmar.

In a separate incident, security forces in Manipur have arrested two drug peddlers, residents of Ngari Raidulomai Village in Senapati district, from Kwakta Terakhongshangbi in Bishnupur district. The drug peddlers were identified as T.S. Valleyrose (40) and T. T. Doveine Worthingla (37).

From their possession, 11 soap cases containing heroin weighing approximately 161 grams, worth INR 1.83 crore, two mobile phones and two Aadhaar cards were recovered. In the third incident, security forces arrested two passengers from Imphal Airport after detecting contraband ganja (cannabis) weighing approximately 21.420 kgs inside their luggage bags.

The estimated value of the ganja is over INR 20 lakh. The two passengers were identified as Laishram Vikash Singh (20) and Ngangbam Nelson Meitei (19), both residents of Imphal West district.