Drugs Worth Rs 6.56 Crore Seized in Assam and Mizoram; 6 Arrested?

Silchar/Aizawl, June 20 (NationPress) Security forces have successfully intercepted drugs valued at approximately Rs 6.56 crore in the northeastern states of Assam and Mizoram, resulting in the arrest of six individuals, including one woman, within the last 24 hours, according to officials.

A police spokesperson in Silchar reported that, acting on reliable intelligence, the Cachar Police initiated a targeted operation against the unlawful transport of narcotics, stopping a passenger bus arriving from the adjacent state of Manipur and detaining three suspects.

Upon conducting a meticulous search of the bus, law enforcement uncovered 3.09 kg of suspected morphine cleverly hidden within packets of foreign-made cigarettes.

In addition, the police team seized 240 cartons of Myanmarese cigarettes along with other narcotics, with the total valuation of these psychotropic substances and foreign products estimated at around Rs 5 crore, as stated by the official.

The confiscated narcotics were collected in the presence of independent witnesses.

Initial tests conducted at the scene confirmed positive results for morphine. The three apprehended drug traffickers were identified as Md. Achouba, Kamthiangsan Khongsal, and Saidur Rahman.

All three individuals hail from different districts in Manipur. Meanwhile, in Mizoram, security forces have conducted three separate operations that led to the seizure of drugs valued at Rs 1.56 crore and the arrest of three people, including a woman from the Champhai and Zokhawthar districts.

In a related event, an official announcement indicated that the Customs Preventive Force confiscated various drugs worth Rs 30.17 crore and arrested an individual during three distinct raids in southern Assam’s Silchar and Agartala on June 18.

“Customs remains dedicated to tackling all forms of cross-border crime encompassing drug smuggling, gold trafficking, illegal wildlife trade, counterfeit currency, import-export frauds, and trade-based money laundering. Customs collaborates closely with several other law enforcement agencies,” the statement elaborated.

A variety of drugs, including methamphetamine tablets and heroin, are regularly smuggled from Myanmar and illicitly transported to various regions of India and Bangladesh via the northeastern states.

Myanmar, sharing a 1,643 km unfenced border with four northeastern states—Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram—serves as a crucial transit point for narcotics and other contraband entering India. The Chin state of Myanmar is notorious for the smuggling of various drugs, exotic wildlife, and other illegal goods.