Daijiworld Media Network - Cachar
Cachar (Assam), Feb 12: In a major crackdown on cross-border narcotics trafficking, the Assam Rifles and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized heroin valued at ?3.2 crore and arrested two alleged drug peddlers in Assam’s Cachar district, officials said on Thursday.
According to a defence spokesperson, the operation was launched on Wednesday night following specific intelligence inputs about the movement of narcotics in the district. Acting swiftly, Assam Rifles personnel coordinated with the DRI to conduct a joint raid along National Highway-306.
The highway, which serves as a crucial link to the mountainous state of Mizoram, has frequently been used as a transit route for smuggling activities. Cachar, along with neighbouring Sribhumi (formerly Karimganj) and Hailakandi districts, shares a 164-km inter-state border with Mizoram, a region that has increasingly become a corridor for drug trafficking due to its proximity to Myanmar.
During the operation, security forces intercepted a vehicle and apprehended two individuals allegedly transporting the heroin consignment. In addition to the narcotics, authorities seized the vehicle used for transportation and a mobile phone recovered from the accused. Further investigation is currently underway.
Officials suspect that the heroin originated in Myanmar and was routed through Mizoram before being brought into Assam for onward distribution to other parts of the country.
The Assam Rifles and the DRI have intensified coordinated efforts in recent months to dismantle narcotics networks operating in the Northeast. An official statement described the latest seizure as a significant success in the ongoing battle against drug trafficking in the region.
Earlier this week, on February 10, Assam Rifles, in collaboration with the state Police and the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB), confiscated 3.518 kg of morphine worth Rs 3.5 crore in Mizoram’s Ngopa area under Saitual district. Two individuals, identified as Kasim and Mukeem Ali, were arrested after security personnel intercepted their vehicle and recovered the contraband during a thorough search.
Mizoram’s geographical location makes it particularly vulnerable to smuggling operations. The state shares a 510-km unfenced international border with Myanmar and a 318-km porous mountainous border with Bangladesh. Myanmar’s Chin state is widely regarded as a key hub for the trafficking of narcotics, wildlife products, foreign-made cigarettes, areca nuts, and other contraband through six Mizoram districts — Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip.