Agartala, Jan 25 (IANS) The Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), seized a large quantity of highly addictive methamphetamine tablets, valued at over Rs 16 crore, in Tripura and arrested the driver of the vehicle in which they were being carried, officials said on Sunday.

A defence spokesman said that the operation was launched late on Saturday night based on specific intelligence inputs regarding drug trafficking activities in Tripura’s Khowai district.

During the operation, the joint team intercepted a truck plying along National Highway-8, and a thorough search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 1.60 lakh methamphetamine tablets.

The truck used to transport the narcotics was seized, and the driver was arrested. Further investigation is underway, the spokesman said. The driver is a resident of southern Assam’s Sribhumi district (formerly Karimganj).

The Assam Rifles has been at the forefront of anti-drug operations in the region, conducting regular missions to disrupt and dismantle narcotics networks.

The seizure, made just ahead of the Republic Day celebrations, marks a significant milestone in efforts to combat drug trafficking, an official statement said.

Methamphetamine tablets, commonly known as Yaba or party tablets, contain a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine and are banned in India.

Among drug users, the tablets are also referred to as ‘crazy drug’.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the consignment was smuggled from Myanmar through Mizoram and southern Assam before entering Tripura, either for delivery to a major drug kingpin or for further smuggling into Bangladesh.

Tripura shares an 856-km-long international border with Bangladesh and is surrounded on three sides by the neighbouring country, making it highly vulnerable to smuggling and other cross-border crimes. Myanmar, which shares a 1,643-km unfenced border with Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram, serves as a key transit point for various drugs, particularly heroin and methamphetamine tablets, and other contraband entering India.

–IANS

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