Photo Courtesy: nenews
Aizawl: Mizoram police intercepted a major haul of smuggled wildlife in the Champhai district. Officers recovered 210 kg of dehydrated manta ray gill plates hidden in nine bags. They found the stash inside a pick-up truck on the night of July 7. The haul carries an estimated international black-market value of Rs 2.3 crore.
Police arrested two men from Silchar, Assam: 26-year-old Rajiv Hussein Laskar and 30-year-old Jinuk Uddin Laskar. Authorities handed the vehicle, the cargo, and both suspects to the Divisional Forest Officer for formal investigation. The gill plates are cartilaginous organs used in traditional medicine. Police labeled the find as one of the state's biggest wildlife busts. A spokesperson noted that the consignment is "believed to be among the biggest wildlife-related seizures ever recorded in Mizoram."
The bust is part of a wider crackdown across the state. Aizawl teams joined Assam Rifles to seize Rs 1.6 crore worth of methamphetamine in Lawipu on Monday. Elsewhere, Saitual district officers pulled over a truck driver who tried to run from a routine check. They found 102 grams of heroin inside. Police also arrested two Myanmar nationals for smuggling heroin in separate incidents near the Zokhawthar border. Officers even intercepted nearly 3,000 kg of illegally imported areca nuts at a check gate. The state remains on high alert for contraband.
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