Manipur: Five drug smugglers arrested, heroin worth Rs 2 crore seized

Imphal: A joint team of central security forces and Manipur Police arrested five alleged drug smugglers in separate operations conducted across different districts and recovered contraband items worth around Rs 2 crore in the international black market.

Acting on an intelligence report, the joint team launched a flash operation on Tuesday and arrested three individuals from Likhai village in Churachandpur district, the Manipur Police morning bulletin stated on Wednesday.

Police identified the arrested individuals as David Sianmuanlian (26) of Singngat, Churachandpur district; Khamthang (56) of Khawzim village, Churachandpur district; and Nekgoumang (23) of Boljol village, Churachandpur district.

From their possession, the team recovered 86 soap cases containing 1.032 kg of heroin, a four-wheeler, and a two-wheeler.

In the second phase of the operation, the team apprehended two individuals carrying contraband substances at Nongmeibung near the Kusum Oil Pump under Porompat police station in Imphal East district.

The team arrested the accused, Md. Ajimuddin (24) of Kwakta Pangal Lamkhai, Bishnupur district, and Md. Iqbal (22) of Kwakta Bazar, Bishnupur district, along with 353.63 grams of heroin powder and a four-wheeler.

The arrested individuals, along with the seized items, are currently in the custody of the concerned police stations.

Police added that two FIRs were registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Act, 2023, for further legal action.

Additionally, the arrests and seizures came a day after the Governor of Manipur, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, chaired the 10th State-Level NCORD meeting, a mechanism established by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to coordinate among Central and State agencies on drug law enforcement and preventing drug trafficking and abuse in India.