A huge haul of Methamphetamine tablets worth Rs 10.50 crore have been seized in Mizoram by the Assam Rifles troopers and a drug peddler from Myanmar was arrested in connection with the case, officials said on Thursday.
Acting on secret information, Aizawl battalion of para-military Assam Rifles launched a joint operation with the officials of the Special Narcotics wing in eastern Mizoram’s Champhai district and seized three lakh lakhs of Methamphetamine tablets.
An Assam Rifles’ press statement said that the approximate market value of these drugs is estimated to be Rs 10.50 crore.
“A drug peddler, resident of Tahan in neighbouring Myanmar was arrested during the operation. The detainee along with the recovered drugs was handed over to Mizoram police for further investigations and prosecution,” the statement said.
It said : “Ongoing illegal drug trades are a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram. Assam Rifles, rightly christened as the ‘Sentinels of North East’ have been successful in launching such operations against the illicit smuggling in Mizoram.”
Methamphetamine tablets (also called Yaba tablet or party tablet) contain a mix of methamphetamine and caffeine and are misused as high-dosage drugs in India, Bangladesh and neighbouring countries.
According to the Border Security Force, Assam Rifles and intelligence officials, Yaba tablets and other drugs are smuggled into the northeastern states from neighbouring Myanmar and then smuggled to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and various Indian states.
Although Mizoram’s international border with Bangladesh and Myanmar and inter-state borders with Tripura, Assam and Manipur are sealed in view of the COVID-19 outbreak, smuggling of various drugs, arms and ammunition and other contraband is still going on.
Mizoram police on July 26 have arrested a man and his son with 1.9 kg heroin smuggled from neigbouring Myanmar to the state, while Assam Rifles personnel recently seized 25 trucks laden with betel nuts, worth around Rs 4 crore, smuggled from Myanmar.
Assam forest officials on July 28 have seized some exotic wildlife species, suspected to have been smuggled from Myanmar, and arrested a truck driver and his assistant for carrying the endangered animals — a kangaroo, six Macaw parrots, three Aldabra tortoises and two capuchin monkeys.
The truck was coming from Mizoram. Mountainous Mizoram has an unfenced international border of 404 kms with Myanmar and 318 kms with Bangladesh. While the BSF guards the Bangladesh border, the border with Myanmar is looked after by Assam Rifles.
