BSF and Mizoram officials seize drugs worth Rs 26 crore in major drug bust
Aizawl: In a major drugs haul, personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF), in collaboration with officials of the Mizoram Excise and Narcotics Department, seized a huge quantity of methamphetamine tablets and heroin worth over Rs. 26 crore near Mizoram's capital, Aizawl, the BSF said in a statement on Thursday.
Two Myanmar nationals have been arrested for possessing the contraband, believed to have been smuggled from Myanmar, the statement added.
Acting on specific and actionable information received and further developed by the BSF, BSF jawans and Excise officials launched a joint operation and intercepted two suspects riding scooters on NH-6 between Seling and Tuirial in Aizawl district on Wednesday, it said.
During questioning, both suspects admitted to having concealed a consignment in nearby roadside bushes, it added.
Subsequently, in the presence of two independent witnesses, a systematic search of the indicated location was carried out, resulting in the recovery of two plastic bags.
Upon inspection, one bag was found to contain 15 packages of methamphetamine (Dragon Brand) weighing 14.905 kg, while the other contained 49 soap cases of heroin weighing 707 grams, the statement said.
The two suspects, identified as Myanmar nationals, were apprehended on the spot, and the seized narcotics were taken into custody by the Excise and Narcotics Department.
The total value of the seized drugs has been estimated at Rs. 26.05 crore, the statement added.
Mizoram has been grappling with a rampant increase in the trafficking of drugs and illegal areca nuts from Myanmar, particularly since 2021, after the military coup in the neighbouring country.
The ethnic violence in Manipur, which broke out in May 2023, has added fuel to the menace, as smugglers have used Mizoram as an alternate route to smuggle drugs from Myanmar.
The Mizoram police, in collaboration with the Excise Department and the Young Mizo Association (YMA), launched a four-month operation in September to curb drug smuggling and drug abuse in the state.
Earlier on Wednesday, home officials said that smuggling of drugs and Burmese areca nuts into Mizoram from Myanmar has significantly decreased due to enhanced security measures along the Indo-Myanmar border.