Daijiworld Media Network - Aizawl/Imphal

Aizawl/Imphal, May 28: In a continuing crackdown on cross-border drug trafficking, security forces in Manipur and Mizoram have seized narcotics worth over Rs 9.70 crore and apprehended four individuals in separate operations, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

According to a Defence spokesperson, a joint team of Assam Rifles and Mizoram Police intercepted two individuals late Tuesday night at a mobile vehicle checkpoint in Teikhang, Saitual district of Mizoram. The suspects, riding Chinese-made Kenbo motorcycles, were found in possession of 758 grams of heroin, estimated to be worth Rs 5.30 crore in the illegal drug market.

In a parallel operation in Koide, Senapati district of Manipur, Assam Rifles and state police discovered 2.2 kg of brown sugar concealed in 220 soap cases. The contraband, valued at approximately Rs 4.40 crore, led to the arrest of two more suspects believed to be involved in the drug trade.

“These operations demonstrate our continued resolve to combat the drug menace and maintain peace and security in the region,” the Defence spokesperson said, adding that the arrested individuals and seized narcotics have been handed over to state police for further investigation.

Meanwhile, Mizoram Excise and Narcotics Department, with assistance from the Young Mizo Association’s anti-drugs squad, arrested two people on Monday on the outskirts of Aizawl. They seized 2 kg of heroin and 9.8 kg of methamphetamine tablets, worth around Rs 4 crore.

Officials said the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar, which shares a 1,643 km unfenced border with four Indian northeastern states: Mizoram, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland. This porous frontier has long served as a critical transit route for illicit narcotics, particularly heroin and methamphetamine (Yaba) tablets, flowing into India.

Authorities have intensified operations across the region, warning that the Myanmar-India drug corridor remains a significant challenge for national security and public health.