Manipur: Rs 17 crore brown sugar consignment seized in Kangpokpi; 2 arrested

Imphal: The Narcotics Unit of the Manipur police, in a joint operation with the Assam Rifles, has intercepted a major consignment of Guwahati-bound contraband brown sugar worth around Rs 17 crore and arrested two alleged drug smugglers in Kangpokpi district, an official stated on Friday.

The official confirmed that the team made the arrest, preventing the narcotics from reaching their intended destination in Guwahati, Assam, after passing through Nagaland.

According to the official, acting on specific intelligence, the joint law enforcement team intercepted a four-wheeler (Creta Car) near Daili Village along NH-102, under the jurisdiction of Kangpokpi Police Station.

The team conducted a thorough search of the vehicle revealed 75 soap cases of suspected brown sugar, believed to be of Myanmar origin.

The official stated that the peddlers concealed the narcotics, weighing 2.88 kg (including the weight of soap cases and transparent polythene), inside both rear doors of the vehicle.

The seized brown sugar has an estimated value of approximately Rs 17 crores in the international clandestine market, the official noted.

Later, the team arrested the driver and the occupant of the vehicleidentified as M Ngaiyu Vekhe of Thingba Khullen, Senapati District, and A. Dahnii Abraham of Thingba Khullen, Senapati District.

During on-spot interrogation, the arrested individuals reportedly admitted they intended to hand over the contraband items to their associates in Guwahati, Assam, police said.

Authorities registered a case against the smugglers under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Further investigations are currently underway to dismantle the broader smuggling network involved in this operation, police added.