Digital Desk |
Aizawl, Nov 11 (IANS) The Assam Rifles, in two separate operations in Mizoram, has seized highly addictive methamphetamine tablets and foreign-origin cigarettes worth over Rs 7.16 crore and arrested three drug smugglers, officials said on Wednesday.
A defence spokesman said that, acting on credible intelligence inputs regarding the transportation of narcotics, the Assam Rifles launched an operation in the Crossing Point-III area of Zokhawthar, along the India-Myanmar border in Champhai district, on Tuesday night. During the operation, Assam Rifles personnel intercepted a suspected individual and, upon thorough checking, recovered 5.789 kg of methamphetamine tablets, a highly addictive narcotic substance valued at approximately Rs 4.69 crore. The apprehended individual, along with the recovered contraband, was subsequently handed over to the Zokhawthar Police Station for further investigation and necessary legal proceedings.
In another operation, the Assam Rifles, in coordination with the Aizawl District Executive Force (DEF), seized a major consignment of foreign-origin cigarettes and apprehended two individuals during an intelligence-based operation at Seling in Mizoram. The seized consignment comprised foreign cigarette brands, including V, Mond, ESSE Light and V, with an estimated market value of Rs 2.47 crore. Two vehicles, a Tata Sumo and a Mahindra Pickup, allegedly used for transporting the contraband, were also seized during the operation.
The two apprehended individuals, along with the seized cigarettes and vehicles, were subsequently handed over to the Bawngkawn Police Station for further investigation and necessary legal proceedings.
An official statement said that the successful operations underscore the importance of credible intelligence inputs, effective inter-agency coordination and sustained vigilance in combating smuggling activities.
The Assam Rifles remains committed to working closely with the Aizawl District Executive Force and other law enforcement agencies to prevent smuggling and maintain peace and security in Mizoram, the statement added.
Mizoram and Manipur have emerged as major drug-trafficking corridors in the Northeast, largely due to 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 a combined 910-km-long international border with Myanmar, making the two northeastern states particularly vulnerable to cross-border drug smuggling. The Golden Triangle, comprising areas of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, has long been identified as a major hub for the production and trafficking of illicit narcotics, including synthetic drugs.
The porous international borders, coupled with difficult geographical terrain, pose significant challenges for security agencies in preventing the movement of narcotics and dismantling cross-border drug-trafficking networks.
Leave a Reply