Assam Rifles seizes contraband worth Rs 6.19 crore in Mizoram, six held

Aizawl, October 14 (IANS): The Assam Rifles, in coordination with other law enforcement agencies, has seized highly addictive methamphetamine tablets, foreign-made cigarettes and illegally transported urea fertiliser worth around Rs 6.19 crore in three separate operations in Mizoram and arrested six smugglers and drug peddlers, officials said on Wednesday.  

A defence spokesman said that, acting on specific intelligence inputs regarding the smuggling of contraband items, the Assam Rifles launched an operation in the Khawlailung area under Serchhip district on Tuesday night.

During the operation, the Assam Rifles recovered 226 cases of smuggled foreign-origin cigarettes, with an estimated market value of approximately Rs 5.42 crore. Three suspected smugglers were also apprehended during the operation.

The seized cigarettes and the apprehended individuals were subsequently handed over to the Legal Metrology Department in Serchhip for further investigation and necessary legal proceedings.

In the second operation, the Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with the Mizoram Police, apprehended two women, including one Myanmar national, and seized 950 grams of methamphetamine, comprising 9,200 tablets, worth approximately Rs 76 lakh at Ramhlun South in Aizawl.

The apprehended women, along with the seized narcotics, were formally handed over to Bawngkawn Police Station for further legal proceedings under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

In the third operation, the Assam Rifles, acting on specific intelligence inputs received from its own sources, launched an operation in the Ngopa area of Saitual district.

During the operation, the Assam Rifles personnel recovered 109 bags of illegally transported urea fertiliser, valued at approximately Rs 98,000. The operation also resulted in the apprehension of one person and the seizure of a vehicle allegedly used to transport the fertiliser.

The recovered fertiliser, the seized vehicle and the apprehended individual were subsequently handed over to the District Agriculture Officer in Saitual for further legal proceedings under the applicable provisions of law.

According to an Assam Rifles statement, the seizures reflect the force's continued commitment, in coordination with civil agencies, to curbing illegal smuggling activities and ensuring the safety and security of the border population in Mizoram.

The coordinated operations are part of the ongoing efforts by security forces and law enforcement agencies to check the smuggling of narcotics and other contraband items in the northeastern region, particularly in areas vulnerable to cross-border illegal trade.

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.

The Golden Triangle, comprising parts of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, has long been associated with the illicit production and trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. The region's proximity to India's Northeastern states has posed persistent challenges for security forces and drug enforcement agencies.

Six districts of Mizoram and five districts of Manipur share around 910 km of international border with Myanmar, much of which remains unfenced, making the region vulnerable to cross-border smuggling of narcotics, cigarettes, fertiliser and other contraband items.