How Did Mizoram Seize Contraband Worth Rs 1.44 Crore and Arrest 11 People?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Contraband worth Rs 1.44 crore seized.
- 11 drug peddlers arrested, including two women.
- Operations conducted in Siaha and Lunglei districts.
- Contraband suspected to be smuggled from Myanmar.
- Security forces emphasize need for vigilance in border areas.
Aizawl, July 5 (NationPress) Assam Rifles and various security forces have successfully confiscated contraband valued at over Rs 1.44 crore and apprehended 11 individuals involved in drug trafficking, including two women, in Mizoram within the last 24 hours, as reported by officials on Saturday.
According to an official, based on precise intelligence regarding the transit of illicit foreign cigars in Siaha District, an Area Domination Patrol (ADP) was initiated by the Assam Rifles in collaboration with the Mizoram police in the Tlangpuikawn area.
During this operation, security personnel intercepted four vehicles and recovered 83 cartons of foreign cigars (Burmese Cheroot) valued at Rs 62.25 lakh.
Four individuals, aged between 20 to 27 years, were taken into custody in connection with this incident.
In another operation, the Assam Rifles, alongside officials from the Excise and Narcotics Department, set up a checkpoint along the New Dawn to Hnahthial road in Siaha District and apprehended four suspects.
A thorough search revealed the presence of heroin weighing 109.08 grams, estimated to be worth Rs 81.81 lakh, found with the four drug traffickers, including two women.
In a third operation, the Assam Rifles and state police jointly arrested three suspects in the Chawngte area of Lunglei District and seized 373 packets containing approximately 124 liters of locally produced alcohol, valued at Rs 93,250.
All 11 smugglers, along with the seized drugs and contraband, have been handed over to the police for further legal action.
Authorities suspect that the seized contraband was smuggled from Myanmar. Siaha District has an unfenced border with Myanmar, while the Lunglei District borders Bangladesh.
Myanmar's Chin state serves as a major hub for the smuggling of various drugs, exotic wildlife, and other contraband across six Mizoram districts: Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip.
Mizoram shares an unfenced border of 510 km with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh.