Daijiworld Media Network - Aizawl
Aizawl, Oct 9: The Assam Rifles, in coordination 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 in the first operation, the Assam Rifles, jointly 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 seized 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 under certain circumstances due to their association with the opium-producing plant.
Two smugglers were apprehended during the operation. The accused, along with the seized vehicles and contraband, were handed over to the Customs Department for further legal proceedings.
In the second operation, 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, acting on specific intelligence inputs about the smuggling of contraband items.
The joint team recovered 28 cases of foreign-origin cigarettes, comprising eight cases of Esse Lights cigarettes and 20 cases of V-brand cigarettes. The seized consignment was estimated to be worth Rs 67.20 lakh.
Three smugglers, including one Myanmar national, were apprehended during the operations. The seized cigarettes and the accused 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, personnel intercepted a car and recovered 14 soap cases containing 167 grams of heroin following a thorough search of the vehicle. The seized narcotics were estimated to have a market value of Rs 33.40 lakh.
Two drug peddlers suspected of involvement in illegal trafficking were also apprehended. The heroin, seized vehicle and the accused were 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, the Assam Rifles acted on credible intelligence regarding narcotics smuggling and launched an operation in the Sailiamkawn Junction area of Mizoram's Serchhip district.
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 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 to curbing narcotics smuggling and other illegal cross-border activities in coordination with civil agencies, while ensuring the safety and security of people living in Mizoram's border areas.
Mizoram and Manipur have emerged as major drug-trafficking corridors in the Northeast 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 around 910 km of unfenced international border with Myanmar, leaving 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.
Officials and security agencies have repeatedly warned that these contraband items are subsequently transported illegally to other parts of India and abroad through clandestine routes.