Aizawl, Jan 23 (NationPress) Foreign cigarettes estimated at ₹3.38 crore were confiscated from the Tuichang bridge vicinity in Lawngtlai district of Mizoram, leading to the arrest of one individual, as reported by the police on Thursday.

A defense spokesperson stated that the Assam Rifles, in collaboration with local police, successfully recovered 260 cases of foreign cigarettes that were illicitly transported from Myanmar.

The arrested suspect is a resident of Champhai district.

The entire shipment has been transferred to the Hnahthial Police Department for further legal actions.

In an official statement, the Assam Rifles, known as the 'Sentinels of Northeast', have intensified their operations to apprehend the masterminds behind the smuggling of illicit goods in Mizoram.

Although six districts in Mizoram - Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip - share an unfenced 510 km border with Myanmar's Chin state, Champhai district remains a hotspot for the smuggling of various contraband, including drugs and weapons.

Over the past week, Assam Rifles troops have recovered substantial amounts of drugs worth ₹74 crore in Tripura and Manipur.

On January 16, in a decisive action against the illegal drug trade, para-military forces intercepted and seized a large quantity of banned Yaba tablets and Brown Sugar valued at approximately ₹62 crore in Churachandpur District of Manipur.

Two drug traffickers, including a woman, were apprehended with ₹3.37 lakh in cash and four smartphones containing Indian and Myanmar SIM cards.

On January 20, in a well-coordinated operation, Assam Rifles seized a staggering 60,000 methamphetamine tablets, also known as Yaba tablets, worth ₹12 crore in West Tripura and detained two drug dealers.

The arrested dealers, identified as Kanai Das (36) and Kishan Kumar Sarkar (32), are from the West Tripura district. The confiscated drugs and the suspects have been handed over to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence for further investigation and legal procedures.