Aizawl, Feb 3 (IANS) Assam Rifles along with different law enforcing agencies have seized drugs valued at around Rs 12 crore and recovered a huge cache of explosives materials in separate incidents in Mizoram, officials said on Monday.
The security forces also arrested 6 persons including a Myanmar national in connection with the recovery of the drugs and explosives materials.
A defence spokesman said that the Assam Rifles along with the officials of the Excise and Narcotics Department in a joint raid recovered highly addictive Methamphetamine tablets weighing 3.33 kg and valued at Rs 9.99 crore from the Champhai district.
The security personnel also arrested three smugglers who were carrying the Methamphetamine tablets also known as Yaba or party tablets.
In two other incidents Assam Rifles and the officials of the Excise and Narcotics Department arrested a drugs peddler and recovered heroin weighing 116.81 grams worth around Rs 82 lakh from Lawngtalai district while the para-military troops arrested a Myanmar national identified as Thangdeihpau (56) and recovered ten hongs of Heroin worth Rs 82.50 lakh at Zokhawthar in Champhai district.
In the fourth operation, Assam Rifles jawans recovered 32 bags of illegal Areca nuts worth around Rs 18 lakh from Champhai district. All the drugs and contraband are smuggled from neighbouring Myanmar.
In the fifth incident, acting on specific intelligence of the movement of explosives at Edenthar areas on the Aizawl-Sairang road, Assam Rifles and Mizoram Police established a mobile vehicle check post and intercepted two vehicles, apprehended two personnel.
From their possession, the security personnel recovered 800 detonators and 2000 gelatine sticks. The apprehended persons and the seized items have been handed over to Mizoram Police.
Even as six Mizoram districts – Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual and Serchhip – share a 510 km-long unfenced border with Myanmar’s Chin state, mountainous Champhai district is the hot spot for smuggling of various drugs, arms and ammunition and various other contraband.
Various drugs, especially heroin and highly addictive methamphetamine tablets are often smuggled into the northeastern states of India from Myanmar, which shares a 1,643 km-long unfenced border with four northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km), Nagaland (215 km) and Mizoram (510 km).
–IANS
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