Aizawl, Oct 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Assam Rifles has seized heroin and dry areca nuts, also known as Burmese betel nuts, worth approximately Rs 2.74 crore in two separate operations in Mizoram and arrested four persons, including a Myanmar national, officials said on Friday.
A defence spokesman said that, acting on credible intelligence regarding the transportation of narcotics, the Assam Rifles launched an operation in the Ngur area of Mizoram’s bordering Champhai district. During the operation, the security personnel intercepted an individual and, upon thorough checking, recovered 1,189 grams of heroin from his possession. The value of the seized heroin is estimated at approximately Rs 2.37 crore, based on the prevailing market rate.
The apprehended individual was identified as a Myanmar national. The seized narcotics, along with the apprehended person, were subsequently handed over to the Excise and Narcotics Department for further investigation and necessary legal proceedings, the spokesman said.
In a separate operation, the Assam Rifles, in coordination with the Mizoram Police, recovered a consignment of illegally transported dry areca nuts, also known as Burmese betel nuts, from North Diltlang village in Champhai district. During the joint operation, the security personnel seized 45 bags containing a total of 3,600 kg of areca nuts, with an estimated market value of approximately Rs 36.87 lakh. Three persons were apprehended in connection with the consignment. In addition, three Bolero pickup vehicles allegedly used in the transportation of the contraband were also seized.
The seized areca nuts, the apprehended persons and the vehicles were handed over to the Mizoram Police for further investigation and necessary legal action.
The operations reflect the continued efforts of the Assam Rifles, in close coordination with civil agencies and state police, to curb the smuggling of illegal foreign-origin areca nuts and narcotic substances, while maintaining security along Mizoram’s international border, the spokesman added.
Mizoram and Manipur have emerged as major drug-trafficking corridors in the Northeast, largely because of 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.
The Golden Triangle, comprising parts of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, has long been associated with the illicit production and trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. The region remains a significant source of drugs smuggled into several parts of Asia, including India’s northeastern states. The proximity of the Golden Triangle to the Northeast has posed persistent challenges for security forces and drug enforcement agencies working to prevent cross-border trafficking of narcotics and other contraband goods.
Six districts of Mizoram and five districts of Manipur share a 910-km-long international border with Myanmar. Much of this border remains unfenced, leaving several stretches vulnerable to cross-border smuggling, illegal trade and other unlawful activities involving narcotics and contraband goods.
Security agencies have continued to intensify surveillance and conduct coordinated operations along the border to disrupt smuggling networks and prevent the movement of illegal consignments into the region.
Source: IANS
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