Heroin worth Rs 5.85 crore seized in Assam; two arrested

Silchar (Assam), Nov 7 Assam Rifles and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) jointly seized heroin worth Rs 5.85 crore in Assam’s Cachar district, officials said on Friday.

A defence spokesman said that in a major success against drug trafficking, Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with the DRI, recovered heroin valued at approximately Rs 5.85 crore in Cachar district of southern Assam.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs regarding the movement of illicit drugs in the region, an Assam Rifles team swiftly launched the operation. He said that during the operation, a vehicle was intercepted near Sonabarighat, leading to the recovery of the narcotics consignment.

Two drug peddlers, residents of Manipur’s Chandel district, were also apprehended.

The hilly district shares an unfenced border with Myanmar. The vehicle used for transporting the drugs has been seized, along with two mobile phones recovered from the suspects.

Assam Rifles continues to play a pivotal role in curbing the menace of narcotics in the Northeast, an official statement said.

It added that through sustained and coordinated operations with other enforcement agencies, the paramilitary force remains committed to dismantling drug trafficking networks and safeguarding the youth from the perils of drug abuse.

Notably, Myanmar shares a 1,643-km-long unfenced border with four Northeastern states -- Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland -- which serves as a key transit point for drugs, particularly heroin and methamphetamine tablets.

At least six of the 10 districts of Mizoram -- Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual and Serchhip -- share a 510-km border with Myanmar, while five of the 16 Manipur districts -- Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Kamjong and Ukhrul -- share a 398-km unfenced international border with the neighbouring country.

Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and southern Assam have turned into major corridors for drug smuggling from Myanmar, with the illegal consignments being ferried to other parts of the country and abroad.

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