Over Rs 11 crores worth drug seized

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, February 26, 2019: In continuation of its efforts to curb drug menace and in line with the Assam Rifles commitment to make Northeast India a drug free region, Tengnoupal Battalion and Moreh Battalion of 26 Sector Assam Rifles under the aegis of IGAR (South) seized a huge cache of contraband drugs worth Rs 11.14 crores in three different operations from Khudengthabi Check Post and Moreh on today.

In the first incident at around 7:15 am base a team of Tengnoupal Battalion seized approximately 420 grams of brown sugar contained in 32 packets from a white colour Maruti A Star bearing registration No AS 02 J0759 travelling from Moreh to Imphal. The drugs were hidden inside a fabricated compartment above fuel tank of the vehicle. The assessed market value of the seized contraband is Rs 84 lakhs. The contraband was illegally being transported by two individuals who identified themselves as Paolun Haokip, 25, resident of Tusum Village, Senapati district and Jangkhopao Kipgen, 24, resident of Dimjang Village, Senapati district.

In another incident, the team of Tengnoupal Battalion of 26 Sector Assam Rifles along with Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB) Imphal seized drugs worth Rs 1.92 crores from Khudengthabi Check Post at around 1200 hours on the same day. On receipt of information regarding smuggling of huge quantity of contrabands from Khudengthabi, the joint team of Tengnoupal battalion and NAB carried out a thorough checking at Khudengthabi. During the frisking and checking the joint team recovered 960 grams of orange colour powder suspected to be Brown Sugar contained in 72 packets amounting to worth Rs 1.92 crores. The contraband drugs were illegally being transported from Moreh to Imphal in a Grey colour Maruti Brezza bearing Registration No MN02 6 3257 by an individual who identified himself as Seiboi Singsit, 28, resident of Kangpokpi, Senapati district. The drugs were duly hidden inside the hollow channels of the chassis of the vehicle. All three aprehendees along with recovered contraband and vehicle were handed over to NAB Imphal, a statement by Assam Rifles said.

With its continuous vigil and relentless crack down on illegal trafficking of contrabands in the region, the Moreh Battalion of 26 Sector Assam Rifles recovered contraband drugs of a whooping amount worth Rs 8.37 crores approximately on 26 February 2019. The team of Moreh Battalion with its strong intelligence base received reliable input regarding presence of a high profile drug peddler dealing with all possible verities of contrabands ranging from heroine, brown sugar to WY tablets, in Moreh Town.

On receipt of the input, multiple parties were launched to sanitize the area and to avoid any untoward incident, as the operation involve detailed house search of a high profile drug peddlers. The Moreh Battalion carried out the house search in synergy with Moreh Police including representative of Mahila police. During the detailed search of the house, drugs kept at multiple locations were recovered. The recovered contraband drugs include Brown Sugar 2.570 Kg, Heroine 240 gms and WIY tablets 68012 numbers. Apart from these contraband Indian currency of Rs 23.40 lakhs and Myanmarese currency worth 1.90 lakhs Kyat (Rs 9,000 in INR) were also recovered from the house. On detailed questioning the individual identified himself as Jilkhongam aluas Tarman Lhungdim age 44 years resident of Ward No 2, Moreh, it added.

Since January in last two months alone 26 Sector Assam Riles has seized a huge haul of illegal  drugs worth Rs. 53 Crores approximately, which includes 20.636 Crores worth Brown Sugar, 7.716 crores worth of Heroin and 24.616 crores of WIY tablets. The sudden increase in the seizures of contraband in the region are the relentless operations launched by the various units of 26 Sector Assam Rifles in synergy with various sister agencies including Manipur Police, NAB, DRI, ARFIU and NCB. The increase operation and coordination and support from the locals and coordinated patrol with Myanmar Army along Indo Myanmar Border are also one of the reasons for the steep surge in the recoveries of contraband drugs in the region.