Aizawl, June 3 (IANS) Security forces in Mizoram have arrested two individuals, including a woman, and recovered heroin worth over Rs 1.17 crore along with a cache of ammunition in separate operations, officials said on Wednesday.

A police official said that a woman from neighbouring Manipur was arrested after Mizoram Police seized heroin valued at more than Rs 1.17 crore during a vehicle-checking operation in Saitual district.

The seizure was made by a special team of the Saitual District Executive Force (DEF) during a random checking drive conducted at Keifang in Saitual district, the official said.

During the operation, police intercepted a black Bolero Neo bearing a Manipur registration number that was travelling from Churachandpur district in Manipur towards Aizawl. Upon thorough inspection of the vehicle, one of the occupants, identified as 51-year-old Nengshi Haokip, a resident of Salbung in Manipur’s Churachandpur district, was found carrying 50 soap cases containing heroin concealed inside her clothing.

The seized contraband weighed 587 grams and is estimated to have a market value exceeding Rs 1.17 crore. Police also confiscated a Vivo mobile phone from the accused during the investigation.

In a separate operation, acting on specific intelligence inputs regarding the movement of illegal ammunition in the Iron Gate area of Zokhawthar in eastern Mizoram, Assam Rifles launched a joint operation in coordination with Mizoram Police.

A defence spokesman said that during the operation, troops apprehended a Myanmar national and recovered six rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, one round of 5.56 mm ammunition, and two rounds of .22 mm ammunition from his possession.

The apprehended individual, along with the recovered ammunition, has been handed over to Zokhawthar Police Station in Champhai district for further investigation and legal proceedings.

The spokesman said that the successful operation reflects the unwavering commitment of Assam Rifles and local law enforcement agencies to curb cross-border smuggling and maintain peace and security in the sensitive border areas of Mizoram, which shares a 510-km-long unfenced international border with Myanmar.

Myanmar’s Chin state has long been regarded as a major transit hub for the smuggling of narcotics, exotic wildlife species, and various other contraband items into India through six Mizoram districts: Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip.

Similarly, five districts of Manipur, Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Kamjong, and Ukhrul, share a 398-km-long unfenced border with Myanmar, making the region vulnerable to transnational smuggling.

Officials have repeatedly expressed concern that Mizoram and Manipur have emerged as major drug trafficking corridors in Northeast India due to their extensive and porous international borders with Myanmar, facilitating the movement of narcotics and other illegal goods across the frontier.

–IANS

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