Aizawl, July 18 (IANS) The Assam Rifles, along with other law-enforcing agencies have seized highly addictive methamphetamine tablets and heroin valued at around Rs 37 crore in Mizoram, officials said on Friday.

A Defence spokesman said that acting on specific intelligence, a joint operation by Assam Rifles and Narcotics Control Bureau was launched on Thursday night at bordering Zokhawthar in eastern Mizoram’s Champhai district.

After a thorough search of the suspected area, the security personnel recovered 642 grams of heroin and 10.44 kg of methamphetamine tablets valued approximately Rs 37 crore. Sensing the presence of the Assam Rifles troops, the drug peddlers managed to escape.

The recovered drugs have been handed over to the Narcotics Control Bureau for taking further legal actions under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985.

The latest drugs seizure was done within a week after the recovery of methamphetamine tablets and heroin valued at over Rs 113.36 crore in the same Zokhawthar areas in Mizoram on July 11.

The methamphetamine tablets, which are most popular among drug users, are a crystal-like drug that severely damages the brain and heart.

Zokhawthar is a border town in Mizoram’s Champhai district, which shares an unfenced border with Myanmar.

Cross-border illegal trades of drugs, arms and ammunition and other contrabands are rampant in bordering Mizoram, which shares 510 km and 318 km of unfenced border with Myanmar and Bangladesh, respectively.

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.

An official of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) had said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has recently supported the Mizoram government’s proposal to establish a Mizo Territorial Army (MTA) battalion to deal with drug trafficking and other law and order-related issues.

Chief Minister Lalduhoma, during his recent visit to New Delhi, discussed several issues with the Home Minister.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has also recently proposed setting up its zonal office in Mizoram. NCB Director General Anurag Garg recently met Mizoram Chief Minister and suggested setting up a full-fledged NCB zonal office in the state and emphasised the need for more staff and officials who are acquainted with the local language and the ground situation of the state.

Lalduhoma, a former IPS officer, during the meeting with Garg had discussed ways and means to curb the drug trade and usage of narcotics by the youth.

The Chief Minister had told the NCB DG that he had already requested the MHA to constitute or to allow the state government to form the MTA to further strengthen vigilance along the state’s unfenced borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh.

–IANS

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