Agartala, July 16 (IANS) In a major haul of drugs, the Assam Rifles, along with Tripura Police, have seized drugs worth Rs 30 crore on Wednesday, officials said.

A defence spokesman said that during a routine check, the Assam Rifles troops and Tripura Police personnel intercepted a truck at Khayerpur in west Tripura, and during a subsequent search, three lakh highly addictive banned methamphetamine tablets were recovered from the vehicle.

The estimated value of the methamphetamine tablets, also known as Yaba or party tablets, is Rs 30 crore. During the search of the truck, the driver managed to escape. The recovered narcotics have been handed over to the officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for further investigation and necessary legal action.

This recovery highlights the relentless efforts of Assam Rifles in its ongoing commitment towards a drug-free Tripura and a drug-free northeast, an official statement said.

Police suspect that the methamphetamine tablets, a type of drug that lets people stay awake and do continuous activity with less need for sleep, were smuggled from Myanmar via Mizoram and southern Assam, entered Tripura to be smuggled to Bangladesh. These drugs are made as pills, powders, or chunky crystals called ice.

Ice, nicknamed crystal meth, is a popular drug, especially with young adults and those who go to dance clubs and parties. Myanmar’s Chin state is a hub for smuggling of varied drugs, exotic wildlife animals and many other contraband through six Mizoram districts — Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual and Serchhip.

Mizoram shares 510 km and 318 km of unfenced border with Myanmar and Bangladesh, respectively.

Meanwhile, Tripura’s Chief Minister recently said that on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, the state government has taken a zero-tolerance policy against the drug menace and its illegal trade.

The Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio, said that Tripura is being used as a corridor for the illegal drug trade, and the law enforcement agencies have always remained extra alert to curb the illicit activities.

–IANS

sc/dan