Aizawl, Feb 19
The Assam Rifles and the Mizoram Police in a joint operation have seized over 10 kg of two types of highly addictive methamphetamine tablets valued at over Rs 71.15 crore and arrested a drug peddler, officials said on Wednesday.
A defence spokesman said that the troopers of Assam Rifles and police personnel acting on secret information on Tuesday night seized the methamphetamine tablets, also known as Yaba or party tablets from Vangkai in eastern Mizoram’s Champhai district, which shares an unfenced border with Myanmar.
The security personnel arrested the drug peddler identified as Vanlalruaia, 59, a resident of Aizawl.
The entire consignment and apprehended individual were taken into custody by police in Zokhawthar for further investigation and legal proceedings.
"Ongoing smuggling of contraband items is a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram. Assam Rifles have continued their efforts against illegal smuggling and have also doubled its efforts to nab the kingpins of the smuggling of contraband items in Mizoram," an official statement said.
Tuesday night’s seizure of drugs is the second such case in Mizoram in the past 48 hours. The defence spokesman earlier said that 9.298 kg of methamphetamine tablets valued at around Rs 27.90 crore were seized at Vangkai crossing point two in the same Champhai district on Monday and two Myanmar nationals were apprehended.
He had said that the Assam Rifles, using intelligence-based information, launched an operation and arrested Lalthangvela, 28, and Zaithangpuia, 26, and recovered the drugs. The drug peddlers are residents of Khawmawi in Myanmar and they illegally entered Mizoram with the drugs through the porous Champhai district.
Mizoram shares a 510 km-long unfenced border with Myanmar’s Chin state, which makes drug smuggling rampant through its six districts - Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip. Champhai district is the hotspot of drug smuggling from Myanmar.