Imphal, Nov 12 (IANS): A huge quantity of drugs, valued at Rs 287 crore, was seized in central Manipur's Thoubal District, Assam Rifles officials said on Thursday.

An Assam Rifles official said that the paramilitary troopers and Manipur Police personnel acting on secret information recovered 72 kg of brown sugar, valued at Rs 287 crore from a hideout in Kamu village of Thoubal District on Wednesday night.

Though nobody was yet held in connection with the huge haul of drugs, the police and Assam Rifles are looking for the drug peddlers.

Officials said that the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar, which shares 1,643 km of unfenced border with four northeastern states -- Mizoram (510 km), Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km) and Nagaland (215 km).

Smuggling of drugs, arms and other contraband takes place frequently in the northeastern region from across the borders, especially from Myanmar.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) said that the recent rise in smuggling in the northeastern region can be attributed to economic distress caused by Covid-19 pandemic, while its Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE) highly appreciated the efforts of Assam Rifles and other agencies against the menace.