Security forces seize meth tablets worth over Rs 2.5 crore; arrest five in Assam
Cachar (Assam), Sep 3 (IANS) In a crackdown on narcotics trafficking networks, security forces have seized highly addictive methamphetamine tablets valued at over Rs 2.5 crore and arrested five drug peddlers in southern Assam, officials said on Thursday.
A defence spokesman said that Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with the Assam Police, seized a substantial consignment of methamphetamine tablets from the Badarpur area in Sribhumi district, formerly known as Karimganj district.
He said that the operation resulted in the recovery of approximately 14,000 methamphetamine tablets, also known as yaba tablets weighing 1.4 kg, with an estimated market value of Rs 2.5 crore.
Two vehicles, including one Mahindra SUV 300 and one Alto, along with five mobile handsets, were also seized during the operation.
Five drug peddlers were apprehended during the operation, the spokesman said.
The apprehended individuals and recovered items have been handed over to Sribhumi Police station for further investigation and legal proceedings.
An official statement said that the successful operation showcased strong inter-agency synergy and close coordination between Assam Rifles and Civil Police delivering a significant blow to narcotics trafficking networks operating in the region.
The operation further reaffirms the unwavering commitment of the joint forces to disrupt the illicit drug supply chain and protect communities from the menace of narcotics, it said.
Meanwhile, in a major crackdown on narcotics trafficking networks, the Assam Rifles, in coordination with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Manipur Police, on Wednesday seized brown sugar worth around Rs 80 crore and arrested a drug peddler in Manipur’s Jiribam district, which shares an inter-state border with southern Assam.
The defence spokesman said that the operation resulted in the seizure of 10 packets containing approximately 10.891 kg of brown sugar, with an estimated market value of around Rs 80 crore.
In addition to the narcotics, Rs 1,500 in cash and one mobile handset were also recovered during the joint operation.
Manipur and Mizoram have emerged as major drug-trafficking corridors in the Northeast due to their long and porous international borders with Myanmar and their proximity to the Golden Triangle, one of the world’s major illicit narcotics-producing regions.
Myanmar shares a 1,643-km-long border with four Northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km), Nagaland (215 km) and Mizoram (510 km) — with substantial stretches remaining unfenced, making the region vulnerable to cross-border trafficking of drugs, particularly heroin and methamphetamine tablets.
Five districts of Manipur — Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Kamjong and Ukhrul — share the state’s 398-km-long international border with Myanmar, much of which remains unfenced. The porous International Border and difficult terrain have posed significant challenges for security agencies in curbing the smuggling of narcotics and other contraband from across the border.
–IANS
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