Aizawl, Sep 10 — The Mizoram Police, in a series of operations, have seized highly addictive methamphetamine tablets, heroin and other contraband worth Rs 14.77 crore and arrested six drug peddlers, including five Myanmar nationals, officials said on Thursday.
A senior police official said that a special team of police conducted random checks at Kualmawi in the Keifang area of Saitual district and recovered and seized 12.746 kg of methamphetamine tablets, with an estimated value of approximately Rs 10.20 crore. The drugs were recovered from the possession of Chinzalian (26) and Thiankhatmuanga (27), both residents of Rangoon in Myanmar.
In another operation, a Mizoram Police team, while conducting random checking at Chalbawia Junction, Khankawn Police Checkgate, recovered and seized 994 grams of methamphetamine tablets worth Rs 79.52 lakh from the possession of a passenger travelling in a Maxi cab. The accused was identified as Hrang Thawm Hnim (39), a resident of Sathmuhzung in neighbouring Myanmar.
In the third operation, a police team in Champhai district, while on duty at Chalbawia Junction, Khankawn Police Checkgate, recovered and seized 141 grams of heroin with an approximate local market value of Rs 28.20 lakh from the possession of two male passengers travelling in a vehicle proceeding from Zokhawthar towards Aizawl. The accused were identified as Awngminnine (19) and Bawithawng (18), both residents of Myanmar.
In another operation, police in Kolasib district, while on duty at Phaisen Police Checkgate, intercepted a Mahindra Scorpio travelling from Aizawl towards Karimganj in southern Assam. Upon inspection of the vehicle, 3.910 kg of methamphetamine tablets, valued at Rs 3.2 crore, were recovered and seized. In connection with the seizure, Guljar Hussain (23), a resident of Karimganj district, was arrested.
In the fifth operation, police in Champhai district, while on duty at Chalbawia Junction, Khankawn Police Checkgate, recovered and seized 3,360 kg (42 bags) of dry areca nuts (Burmese betel nuts) worth Rs 30 lakh from a truck. No valid trade licence, transportation permit or any other documentation was available for the seized items, which are strongly suspected to have been smuggled from Myanmar. Police said that the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar, as six Mizoram districts -- Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual and Serchhip -- share a 510-km-long border with the neighbouring country's Chin State.
Police officials suspect that the methamphetamine tablets, which are banned in India, were smuggled from Myanmar, which shares a 1,643-km-long international border with four Northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km), Nagaland (215 km) and Mizoram (510 km).
Substantial stretches of the international border remain unfenced, making the region vulnerable to cross-border trafficking of drugs, particularly heroin and methamphetamine tablets. Mizoram and Manipur 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.