Daijiworld Media Network - Aizawl/Guwahati
Aizawl/Guwahati, Aug 5: The Assam Rifles, in separate joint operations with the Assam Police and Mizoram Forest Department, have seized methamphetamine tablets, heroin and a large consignment of protected medicinal plants collectively valued at over Rs 26 crore, officials said on Wednesday.
In a major anti-narcotics operation in Assam's Cachar district, the Assam Rifles and Assam Police recovered drugs worth more than Rs 25 crore in the international market and arrested three suspected drug peddlers.
The operation was conducted in the Motinagar area of Bhuban Pahar in southern Assam. Security personnel seized around 1.10 lakh methamphetamine tablets weighing nearly 14 kg and 10 soap cases containing 223 grams of heroin.
Two mobile phones allegedly linked to the drug trafficking network were also seized. The arrested persons, along with the recovered contraband, were handed over to the Cachar district police for further legal action under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
An official statement said the operation reflected the Assam Rifles' continued efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks through coordination with civil police and other enforcement agencies.
In a separate operation in Mizoram's Lawngtlai district, the Assam Rifles, in coordination with the Forest Department, seized a large quantity of the protected medicinal plant Paris polyphylla, locally known as Anchiri.
The operation at Hmawngbuchhuah village led to the recovery of 311 bags containing 10,574 kg of Anchiri, valued at around Rs 1.05 crore. Five persons allegedly involved in the illegal consignment were apprehended, while five vehicles used for transporting the forest produce were seized.
The recovered medicinal plants, the arrested individuals and the vehicles were handed over to the Lawngtlai Forest Department for further investigation and legal proceedings.
Officials said the operation highlighted the joint commitment of security forces and forest authorities to prevent illegal collection and trafficking of protected forest produce along the India-Myanmar border.
Mizoram has increasingly emerged as a key corridor for drug trafficking in the Northeast due to its 510-km unfenced international border with Myanmar, which lies close to the Golden Triangle, a major global centre for illicit narcotics production.
The state also shares a 318-km border with Bangladesh, making it vulnerable to cross-border smuggling of narcotics, wildlife products, arms and other illegal consignments.
Security agencies have intensified surveillance, intelligence operations and coordinated action across border districts to curb transnational drug trafficking and organised cross-border crimes.