Aizawl/Imphal, Sep 20 (IANS) Security forces in Mizoram and Manipur seized methamphetamine tablets and heroin worth over Rs 3.68 crore and arrested five drug peddlers, officials said on Sunday. A defence spokesman said that acting on specific intelligence inputs regarding illegal transportation of narcotic substances, Assam Rifles launched a joint operation with Mizoram Police T-Junction areas of Mimbung-Kawlbem-Ngopa in Saitual District.
During the operation, the joint team apprehended a drug peddler. Further search of the individual led to recovery of 2.285 kg of the methamphetamine tablets, valued at approximately Rs 1.83 crore. The apprehended individual along with the recovered contraband were taken by Ngopa Police station for further investigation and necessary legal action under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985.
In another operation, based on credible intelligence regarding transhipment of narcotics at Iron Gate in bordering Zokhawthar, troops of Assam Rifles in coordination with Mizoram Police launched a targeted operation in the area under the Champhai district, a hot spot of illegal drug trade from Myanmar.
During the operation, the joint team intercepted a drug smuggler at Iron Gate, and on thorough search recovered 28 grams of heroin, a highly dangerous narcotic substance with an estimated value of Rs 5.6 lakh. The individual was subsequently arrested. The seized contraband and the apprehended individual were subsequently handed over to Zokhawthar Police Station for further investigation and requisite legal proceedings under the NDPS act.
This seizure reflects Assam Rifles continued resolve to dismantle drug trafficking networks and ensure the safety and security of the border population in Mizoram.
The successful operation highlights the operational effectiveness, vigilance and intelligence-based approach of Assam Rifles and Mizoram Police in combating the trafficking of narcotic substances and maintaining security in the region, an official statement said.
According to the statement, the force remains steadfast in its commitment towards ensuring peace, security and stability in the Northeast.
In Manipur, a combined team of state Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Assam Rifles in Senapati district arrested two drug peddlers, both natives of Assam’s Goalpara District and recovered methamphetamine tablets weighing 2.3 kg contained in ten packets. The value of the drugs estimated to be Rs 1.80 crore.
The arrested drug smugglers were identified as Rohim Ali (23) and Anowar Hussiain Laskar (48). Following further investigation, one of their accomplices, Md Nawaz Khan, a resident Mayai Leikai in Imphal, was also arrested. A Bolero vehicle, cash amount of Rs 5,000 also recovered from them.
Mizoram and Manipur have emerged as major drug-trafficking corridors in the Northeast because of their long and porous international borders with Myanmar and their proximity to the Golden Triangle, one of the world’s major illicit narcotics-producing regions. Six districts of Mizoram and five districts of Manipur share around 910 km of unfenced international border with Myanmar.
–IANS
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