Aizawl, Oct 9 (IANS): The Assam Rifles, jointly with other law enforcement agencies, seized heroin, poppy seeds, dry areca nuts (also known as Burmese betel nuts) and foreign-origin cigarettes worth Rs 2.86 crore in four separate operations in Mizoram and arrested 10 smugglers and drug peddlers, officials said on Friday.
A defence spokesman said that the Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with the Aizawl District Executive Force, intercepted two trucks at Seling in Mizoram and recovered dry areca nuts and poppy seeds allegedly smuggled from neighbouring Myanmar.
The joint team recovered 210 sacks of dry areca nuts valued at approximately Rs 1.03 crore and 90 sacks of poppy seeds worth around Rs 72 lakh. The total value of the seized contraband was estimated at Rs 1.75 crore.
Poppy seeds are oil-rich seeds obtained from the opium poppy plant and are widely used in cooking and baking. However, their movement and trade are subject to legal restrictions in certain circumstances because of their association with the opium-producing plant.
Two smugglers were also apprehended during the operation. The apprehended individuals, along with the seized vehicles and contraband, were handed over to the Customs Department for further legal proceedings.
In the second operation, acting on specific intelligence regarding the smuggling of contraband items, the Assam Rifles, along with the Customs Preventive Force, launched operations at Crossing Point-III in Zokhawthar and Mualkawi in Mizoram’s bordering Champhai district.
During the operations, the joint team recovered a total of 28 cases of foreign-origin cigarettes smuggled into the area. The seized consignment comprised eight cases of Esse Lights cigarettes and 20 cases of V-brand cigarettes, with an estimated market value of Rs 67.20 lakh.
Three smugglers, including one Myanmar national, were also apprehended during the operations. The seized contraband and the apprehended individuals were subsequently handed over to the Customs Preventive Force in Champhai for further investigation and necessary legal proceedings.
In the third operation, the Assam Rifles, acting on specific intelligence inputs, launched an operation in the Ngopa area of Mizoram’s Saitual district in coordination with the state police.
During the operation, Assam Rifles personnel intercepted a car. A thorough search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 14 soap cases containing 167 grams of heroin, with an estimated market value of Rs 33.40 lakh.
The operation also resulted in the apprehension of two drug peddlers suspected of involvement in the illegal trafficking. The recovered contraband, along with the seized vehicle and the apprehended individuals, was handed over to Ngopa Police Station for further investigation and legal proceedings under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
In the fourth operation, acting on credible intelligence regarding narcotics smuggling, the Assam Rifles launched an operation in the Sailiamkawn Junction area of Mizoram’s Serchhip district.
During the operation, the team intercepted three suspected drug peddlers and recovered 54.28 grams of heroin during a thorough search. The seized narcotics were estimated to be worth approximately Rs 10.85 lakh at the prevailing market rate. The seized heroin and the apprehended individuals were handed over to Sailiamkawn Police Station for further investigation and necessary legal proceedings.
An official statement said the seizures reflected the Assam Rifles’ continued commitment, in coordination with civil agencies, to curbing narcotics smuggling and other illegal cross-border activities, and ensuring the safety and security of the population in the border areas of Mizoram.
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.
Six districts of Mizoram and five districts of Manipur share around 910 km of unfenced international border with Myanmar, making the region vulnerable to cross-border smuggling of narcotics and other contraband.
Highly addictive methamphetamine tablets, also known as Yaba or party tablets, heroin, poppy seeds, dry areca nuts, foreign-origin cigarettes, various types of cough syrups, exotic animals and explosives are among the items frequently smuggled from Myanmar into the Northeastern states, mainly through Mizoram and Manipur.
These contraband items are subsequently transported illegally to other parts of India and abroad through clandestine routes, officials and security agencies have repeatedly warned.
