Manipur police seize brown sugar worth Rs 70 lakhs, arrest one

Imphal: A Special Operation Team (SOT) of the Manipur police on Wednesday arrested an alleged drug smuggler and recovered nine soap cases of foreign origin containing 119 grams of brown sugar, a derivative of heroin, during a swift operation along the Manipur-Nagaland border.

The confiscated drugs were estimated to be worth around Rs 70 lakhs in the international illicit drug trade, the police reported on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of Senapati Police apprehended the individual during a frisking and checking operation conducted at Martyrs’ Park, approximately 2 km south of Mao Police Station along National Highway-102, under Mao Police Station in Senapati District, on October 22, 2025, at around 8:30 PM.

The arrested person has been identified as Md. Bogimayum Khommei (54), a resident of Paobitek Maning Leikai, Wangoi Sub-Division in Imphal West District, Manipur – 795009, and son of Md. Hayadalli.

During the operation, authorities seized nine soap cases of different colors originating from Myanmar, containing brown sugar weighing 119 grams (including plastic covers, excluding soap case covers), one Samsung keypad mobile phone, one Aadhaar card, one State Bank of India (SBI) debit card, and one black Adidas carry bag.

The illegal items were confiscated, and the accused was arrested in the presence of an executive magistrate, following proper formalities.

The police added that the arrested individual and the seized items were later handed over to Mao Police Station, and a case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Act 2023 for further investigation.