Agartala/Aizawl, Feb 22 The Assam Rifles and other law enforcing agencies seized large quantities of ganja (marijuana) and other contraband items worth around Rs 11 crore and arrested four persons in Tripura and Mizoram on Saturday, officials said.
A Defence spokesperson said that in a major crackdown on narcotics smuggling, Assam Rifles troops along with Customs officials seized 2286.9 kg of marijuana estimated to be worth Rs 10.29 crore from West Tripura district’s Bejoynagar village on Saturday. She said that two persons were also arrested in connection with the seizure of the dry ganja, which was recovered from a plantation field. The seized ganja and apprehended individuals were handed over to Customs for further legal action.
The successful interdiction is part of the ongoing efforts by Assam Rifles to counter illegal activities along the border areas and ensure national security, the spokesperson stated.
In Mizoram, the Assam Rifles personnel acting on specific intelligence seized counterfeit cigarettes worth Rs 42.50 lakh from the Chhungte areas of the Champhai district on Saturday. The counterfeit cigarettes contained in 1250 cartons were found in a deserted jungle. In another operation, the para-military troops seized illegal Areca nuts contained in 48 bags from a hidden place in Hmunhmeltha areas of the same Champhai district on Saturday. The value of the Areca nuts, smuggled from Myanmar, is Rs 26.88 lakh.
In the fourth operation, the Assam Rifles jawans seized ganja (marijuana) worth Rs 95,000 and apprehended two individuals, who are identified as Zoremsiama (23) and Andrew (30) from Tuipang areas of Siaha district on Saturday. The ganja (marijuana), illegally cultivated in vast areas of a few northeastern states including Tripura and the dry marijuana, are smuggled to other states of India to be used as cheap drugs.
Mizoram shares a 510 km-long unfenced border with Myanmar’s Chin state, which makes drug smuggling rampant through its six districts -- Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip. Champhai district is the hotspot of drug smuggling from Myanmar.
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