Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Police in Assam and Manipur dismantled drug trafficking rings this week, arresting six people and seizing contraband valued at Rs 23 crore. The crackdowns spanned several districts and involved the Assam Special Task Force and local police units.
The largest hit occurred at Amingaon on the outskirts of Guwahati. Authorities acted on intelligence to stop a vehicle carrying 50,000 methamphetamine tablets weighing five kilograms. Police also pulled 67.5 grams of heroin from the car. The haul carries an estimated street value of Rs 12.5 crore. Three men from Manipur were cuffed: Kh Tabish, 24, Thekcham Avinash Singh, 41, and Nongmaithem Biswajit, 38. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the bust on August 2, stating: "Major drug bust recorded: Rs 12.5 crore of drugs recovered. Based on strong intelligence, STF Assam and Kamrup Police intercepted a major drug consignment passing through Amingaon."
Officials believe the drugs originated in Myanmar before moving through Manipur. Geography makes this difficult to stop. Manipur shares a 400-km porous border with Myanmar, while Mizoram’s 510-km border with Myanmar and 318-km border with Bangladesh remain unfenced. This leaves the region prone to smuggling.
Two other operations hit hard in Manipur. Police at the Leingangpokpi checkpost in Jiribam district stopped a vehicle and found 5.21 kg of brown sugar. The street value sits at Rs 10 crore. They arrested 42-year-old Bhima Panika, a resident of Assam’s Karbi Anglong district. In Bishnupur district, officers raided a home in Kwakta and arrested 27-year-old Shahna. They found 70 grams of heroin in soap cases worth Rs 55 lakh.
Investigators also picked up Meraimayum Razak Ahamed, 35, in Imphal East. He is the prime suspect in an ongoing case involving brown sugar found in a Pajero SUV at a workshop near Patsoi Police Station. Police continue to trace the supply chains of these networks.
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