Guwahati, June 28 (IANS) Two alleged drug peddlers were arrested after the Assam Rifles and Assam Police jointly seized narcotics valued at around Rs 5 crore during an anti-drug operation along the Assam-Mizoram border in Cachar district, officials said on Sunday.

According to officials, the joint operation was carried out late on Saturday in the Lailapur area of Cachar district in Assam based on specific intelligence inputs about the movement of narcotics through the inter-state border.

As the security personnel moved in, the two suspects allegedly attempted to flee from the spot. However, they were chased and apprehended by the joint team after a brief pursuit, officials said.

During the search operation, the security forces recovered 42 soap cases containing suspected heroin, estimated to be worth around Rs 2 crore in the illegal market.

In addition, 10,000 Yaba tablets, valued at nearly Rs 3 crore, were also seized.

Two mobile phones believed to have been used by the accused were recovered during the operation.

Following the seizure, the recovered narcotics, the mobile phones and the arrested persons were handed over to Cachar Police for registration of a case and further legal proceedings.

The Police have launched an investigation to ascertain the source of the contraband, its intended destination and whether the accused are linked to a larger inter-state or cross-border drug trafficking network.

Officials said the operation was conducted on the basis of credible intelligence and reflected the close coordination between the Assam Rifles and Cachar Police in tackling the menace of narcotics trafficking in the region.

The Assam-Mizoram border has remained under constant surveillance by security agencies due to repeated attempts by drug syndicates to smuggle heroin, methamphetamine tablets and other contraband through the corridor.

Officials described the latest recovery as a significant success in the ongoing drive against drug trafficking in the Northeast and said sustained intelligence-based operations would continue to dismantle organised smuggling networks operating in the region.

–IANS

tdr/khz