Contraband worth Rs 4.79 crore seized in Mizoram ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Aizawl: Substantial quantities of drugs mainly heroin and banned alcohol altogether worth over Rs. 4.79 crore (in the local market) have been seized by law enforcement agencies since March 16 after the announcement of Lok Sabha polls and imposition of the model code of conduct, a top police official said on Monday.

Mizoram Director General of Police (DGP) Anil Shukla said that 37.5 kilograms of heroin and 1.25 kilograms of ganja (cannabis) were together worth over Rs. 2.69 crore and liquor, including fermented rice and beer, worth Rs. 2.1 crore have been seized by law enforcement agencies since the imposition of the model code of conduct.

He said that one M4 assault rifle, one CZ pistol, four Single Barrel Breech Loader (SBBL) guns and two Double  Barrel Breech Loader (SBBL) firearms, several ammunition and explosive items have also been seized since March 16.

“Mizoram police has initiated preparation since December last year to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections. Over Rs. 14 crore worth of drugs and alcohol have been seized since first January of which over 4.79 crore worth drugs and alcohol were seized after the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls,” Shukla told a news conference on Monday.

A total of 134 people have been arrested in drug-related cases since January, of which 35 people were arrested after the imposition of the model code of conduct, while 167 people were arrested under liquor prohibition law since January and 76 of them were arrested after the announcement of elections, he said.

Mizoram is a dry state where selling, consumption and manufacturing of liquor is prohibited under the Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition) or MLP Act that came into force in May 2019 in the state except in the areas of three autonomous district councils in the southern part of the state.

25 people have been arrested for illegally possessing arms, ammunition and explosives since January and 13 of them were arrested after the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls, he said.

Shukla said that elaborate security arrangements have been made and 12 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed across all 11 districts in addition to over 3,500 state policemen.

Besides, a total of 1,047 state armed police force personnel have been deployed in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar for the Lok Sabha polls, he said.

The DGP said that intelligent inputs showed there is no major security threat in the state till now.

He said that movement across the inter-state border and international border would be restricted 48 hours before the closing of voting.

Mizoram shares inter-state boundaries with Assam, Manipur and Tripura and international borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh.