Mizoram: Drugs worth INR 45 crore seized, four including two Myanmar nationals arrested

AIZAWL — Mizoram Excise and Narcotics Department officials on Monday seized over 15 kg highly addictive methamphetamine tablets, valued at over INR 45 crore and arrested four drug peddlers, including two Myanmar nationals, officials said on Monday.  

One team of Mizoram Excise and Narcotics Department carried out operation in New Champhai region, where they apprehended two drug peddlers and recovered 10.1 kg of methamphetamine tablets from them.

The drug peddlers were identified as Zamsianmanga (41) and Ronald Liana (26), both residents of Sagaing Division of Myanmar.

Another team intercepted a vehicle at the area, bordering Champhai town and seized an additional 5.11 kg of the same methamphetamine tablets.

Two Indian nationals were also arrested in the second operation. They were identified as Sahanoor Alom (26), resident of Ranigram in Sribhumi district (formerly Karimganj district) of southern Assam and Golap Hussain (32), resident of Bagimara under Sonamura subdivision in Tripura’s Sepahijala district.

The car, bearing an Assam registration number used by the drug smugglers, was also confiscated.

Officials informed that all four accused have been booked under relevant provisions of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985, and the cases have been registered at the Champhai Police station.

The seizures of drugs mark yet another major haul in ongoing crackdown on cross-border narcotics smuggling from neighbouring Myanmar through Mizoram’s porous frontier.

Six Mizoram districts, specially Champhai, are increasingly being used for trafficking of methamphetamine tablets, other synthetic drugs, exotic animals, arms and ammunition.

The methamphetamine tablets, also known as Yaba or party tablets, contain a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine and are commonly referred to as the ‘crazy drug’. They are banned in India.

Notably, Myanmar shares 1,643 km unfenced border with four northeastern states -- Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland and serve as key transit point for drugs, particularly heroin and methamphetamine tablets.