Aizawl, Jun 19 (IANS): Since January this year, law enforcement agencies in Mizoram have seized drugs worth Rs 271 crore smuggled from Myanmar and arrested at least 20 peddlers in connection, officials said on Monday.

Officials in Aizawl said that the Assam Rifles, Mizoram Excise and Narcotics Department, Customs, state police seized huge quantities of heroin, cannabis, methamphetamine (also called Yaba tablets) and pseudoephedrine tablets during this year.

Last year, the law enforcement agencies had seized 49.3 kg of heroin and 29.8 kg of pseudoephedrine tablets.

A meeting of the 'Core Committee on Ruihol Do' (War against drugs) chaired by Mizoram Social Welfare and Excise Minister Lalrinawma held here, expressed concern over the increasing of drug smuggling from Myanmar through the state and their abuse by a section of youths.

An official of the Mizoram Excise and Narcotics Department said that the menace of drug abuse in rural areas is much higher than in urban areas.

The 'Core Committee on Ruihol Do' decided to launch a massive awareness programme across the state to curb the drug menace.

The Mizoram government has provided Rs 3 crore to the committee to undertake all sorts of programmes to curb the drug menace.

Besides senior officials, leaders of Young Mizo Association (YMA) and Mizo Students' Union (MSU) took part in the meeting.

According to the Excise and Narcotics Department officials, the heroin and other drugs were smuggled from neighboring Myanmar.

Mizoram's 510 km unfenced international border with Myanmar, especially in the bordering Champhai district, is a major hotspot of smuggling.

Besides various illicit drugs, foreign cigarettes, a variety of other contrabands like gold, as well as arms and ammunition, exotic animals, and areca nuts are often smuggled from Myanmar into northeastern states, especially Mizoram and Manipur.