Imphal, April 29 (IANS) Security forces have arrested two drug peddlers from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh and seized 51 kilograms of opium valued at over Rs three crore in Manipur, officials said on Wednesday, dismantling an inter-state trafficking module linked to Myanmar.

A police official stated that security personnel intercepted a truck carrying contraband opium at Leingangpokpi village in Jiribam district along the Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37). The occupants of the vehicle were apprehended on the spot. The arrested individuals have been identified as Sukhvinder Singh (30), a resident of Mari Udhoke in Punjab, and Sandeep Singh Tilno (41), a resident of Gudiyan Purwa in Uttar Pradesh.

Authorities recovered two carton boxes containing opium weighing 51 kilograms, along with three mobile phones, from their possession. The seized opium is estimated to be worth over Rs three crore in the international market. The truck used for transportation has also been confiscated.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the consignment originated from Myanmar, with Jiribam district believed to be the intended destination. The district shares an inter-state border with southern Assam, which in turn borders Bangladesh.

Myanmar remains a major producer of opium, particularly in its northern regions such as Kachin and Shan states. This seizure marks the second major crackdown on Myanmar-linked drug trafficking in Manipur within a span of 24 hours.

On Tuesday, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in coordination with the Assam Rifles and Manipur Police, arrested two drug peddlers and seized 4.267 kilograms of heroin valued at Rs 8.5 crore, dismantling another trafficking network connected to Myanmar. An official said that the joint operation led to the recovery of 374 soap cases containing heroin, weighing approximately 4.267 kg and valued at Rs 8.5 crore in the international market.

Describing the operation as a significant breakthrough against cross-border drug trafficking, the official added that the NCB’s Imphal Zonal Unit, working closely with the Assam Rifles and state police, conducted the operation in a remote area near Khuakhual in Churachandpur district, which shares an international border with Myanmar.

During the operation, authorities intercepted a vehicle and a Kenbo motorcycle. A thorough search resulted in the seizure of the heroin consignment. Two individuals involved in the trafficking network were arrested on the spot.

Five districts in Manipur — Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Kamjong, and Ukhrul — share a 398-km-long unfenced international border with Myanmar, making the region particularly vulnerable to cross-border trafficking activities.

–IANS

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