Silchar/Aizawl, Nov 1 — In major crackdowns on drug trafficking, the Assam Rifles have seized narcotics worth around Rs 46.25 crore in two separate operations in southern Assam and Mizoram and arrested five drug peddlers, officials said on Sunday.
A total of 27.813 kg of methamphetamine tablets, commonly known as Yaba or party tablets, was seized in the two operations. Yaba tablets contain a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine and are also popularly referred to as the 'crazy drug'. These highly addictive synthetic drugs, banned in India, continue to be among the major narcotics smuggled from Myanmar into the Northeast.
A defence spokesman said that in a significant breakthrough against narcotics trafficking, the Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with the Silchar-based Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in southern Assam, seized a massive consignment of 20 kg of crystal methamphetamine, valued at approximately Rs 40 crore, at Dholai Bazar in Cachar district. The recovery is considered one of the biggest seizures of crystal methamphetamine in the region and has dealt a major blow to organised synthetic drug trafficking networks.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a joint team of the Assam Rifles and DRI, Silchar, launched an operation during which they intercepted a suspected narcotics consignment and apprehended three drug peddlers allegedly involved in its transportation. A thorough search led to the recovery of 20 packets of crystal methamphetamine weighing approximately 20 kg, with an estimated international market value of Rs 40 crore. The team also seized three mobile phones and two vehicles.
A preliminary assessment indicated that the consignment had originated in neighbouring Mizoram and was being transported through southern Assam's Silchar, which was allegedly being used as a transit hub for its onward movement towards mainland India. The three apprehended individuals, along with the recovered contraband and seized items, were handed over to the DRI in Silchar for further investigation and legal proceedings.
In a separate operation in Mizoram, the Assam Rifles, acting on specific intelligence inputs provided by sister agencies, recovered 7.813 kg of methamphetamine tablets, valued at approximately Rs 6.25 crore, from Ramthar North in Aizawl district. Two persons were also apprehended during the operation. The recovered narcotics and the apprehended individuals were subsequently handed over to the Mizoram Police for further legal proceedings under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
The two successful operations reflect the Assam Rifles' continued commitment to combating drug trafficking and safeguarding the youth and communities of Mizoram through effective intelligence-sharing and coordination among various enforcement agencies, an official statement said.
The statement further said that the seizures underscore the effectiveness of precise intelligence inputs, technical surveillance and coordinated operations between the Assam Rifles and other law enforcement agencies.
Mizoram and Manipur have emerged as major drug-trafficking corridors in the Northeast, largely 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.
Six districts of Mizoram and five districts of Manipur share a 910-km-long international border with Myanmar, making the two northeastern states particularly vulnerable to cross-border drug smuggling.