Mizoram: Myanmar coup fuels drug smuggling in Northeast

Aizawl: The military coup in Myanmar has led to a surge in drug smuggling activities into the Northeast region, especially in Mizoram.

Officials from Mizoram have expressed deep concern over the growing drug menace and emphasized the need for increased vigilance and action to curb it.

In Mizoram, security forces have reported a significant increase in drug smuggling from Myanmar, particularly heroin and methamphetamine tablets.

In Aizawl, senior police officers and other security officials said smuggling of drugs, mostly heroin and methamphetamine tablets, also known as party tablets or Yaba, into India from Myanmar, has risen to a great extent after the military coup in the neighboring country in February 2021.

The Assam Rifles, which has been guarding the unfenced 510 km of border with Myanmar, have seized different types of drugs valued at around Rs 67 crore and arrested eight drug peddlers, including three Myanmarese, during the last one week.

Officials said that during the six separate operations during the past one week, the paramilitary troopers seized 350 grams of heroin, 22.309 kg of methamphetamine tablets, 7.6 kg of ganja (Marijuana) and 90 lakhs of illegal Indian currencies.

Mizoram Police and Customs officials also often accompanied the Assam Rifles personnel in the operations against the illegal drugs peddling.

Mizoram, southern Assam and Tripura have become corridors of drug smuggling as the three northeastern states share borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Officials said that all the drugs smuggled from Myanmar and through Mizoram are ferried to southern Assam and Tripura to further smuggle these to Bangladesh or other parts of India.