600 bags of fertilizer transporting to Myanmar seized, Manipur agriculture department says it does not belong to government

Imphal: Manipur Police has confiscated 600 bags of fertilizer transported by three trucks, which were found hiding at Tuining village, Sangaikot sub-division in Manipur.

Based on a reliable input about fertilizer trucks moving through Sangaikot area, three police teams conducted a search and found  three trucks with 200 bags of DAP and 400 bags of Urea, hiding at Tuining village, Sangaikot sub-division, chief minister N. Biren Singh writes on his Facebook wall.

As per initial interrogation, one Lianpu of Jordan village, Chandel district purchased these consignment from one Surjit Singh, fertilizer dealer from Thinungei village, Bishnupur through a broker named one Thangneo of Heijang, near Khomoi, Biren said.

The agriculture department gave their findings of the inspection report in which the officials stated that the seized fertilizers does not belong to the government, a police report said.

But investigation so far brought to light that the intent was to send the fertilizers to Myanmar, this has led to the detention and involvement of six persons. Therefore as per procedure the accused persons, trucks and seized fertilizers have to be handed over to the customs authorities, it added.

On Thursday at about 7 pm the police handed over the Indian origin  seized  200 bags of DAP and 400 bags of Dr. Fasal  urea bio fertilizer, three seized Tata trucks and six accused persons to the assistant commissioner, Imphal Custom Division, Sangakpham, Imphal as a strong primary facie case of cross border smuggling and illegal export attempting to export  of fertilizers to Myanmar that has been made out during the enquiry. The arrested three drivers of the involved trucks and three other accused persons strongly involved in the crime are also handed over to the Customs authority for taking up further necessary action, the police report said.

The six smugglers were Mangminlian Phiamphu (driver), 26, of Tuning Village Churachandpur; Kapsianpau Phiamphu (driver), 28, of Tuning village; Tongkhohao Haokip (driver), 22, of M. Phaimol village, Churachandpur; Mangneo Haokip, 24, of Haijang village Churachandpur –  consignor of Dr. Fasal  Urea N-40; Thokchom Bidur Singh, 35, of Thinungei Awang Leikai-  supplier of Dr. Fasal Urea N- 40; and Anthony Paotinlen Haokip, 23, of Jordan village , Khengjoi sub-division.