Smugglers find haven on Zero road off Japhou
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 18 2013 :
Zero road which starts from Japhou Bazar in Chandel district has turned out to be a very popular route for smugglers engaged in smuggling illegal goods, including drugs, to Myanmar.
According to a police source, there is no security deployment along the route thereby providing a safe passage to smugglers travelling up to Moreh and further into Myanmar.
Of the many contraband items smuggled into Moreh and across the international border, red wood tops the list in terms of volume.
For the last few years, trucksloads (Shaktiman) of red wood are being smuggled along Zero Road.
It is not only red wood, but there are reports that pseudo ephedrine drugs are also being smuggled along the route.
Armed groups based in the hills are also involved in smuggling contraband goods up to Moreh.
Earlier, it was only smugglers from the valley who were engaged in this unlawful activity.
|
But when armed groups based in the hills came to know about the smuggling activities, they informed security agencies leading to successful seizure of many contraband goods.
Following such incidents, people from the valley are no longer capable of smuggling goods by themselves.
The modus operandi nowadays run thusContraband goods, including drugs are brought up to Chandel by smugglers from Imphal.
The task of taking contraband goods along Zero Road up to Moreh via New Somtal is done by armed groups based in the hills.
For taking red wood to Chandel from Imphal, the smugglers use the bypass road near Pallel police station for there is no check-post on this bypass road.
The drivers often come out with the explanation that they are transporting goods and police men, taking the words of the drivers usually let the vehicles off without any checking.
But the reality is that red wood is smuggled in small volumes after loading them under FCI goods.
Random checkings have not been able to detect the red wood because it is not transported on a daily basis.
Red wood thus transported in small volumes are collected at Chandel and they are taken to Moreh after its volume reach a Shaktiman truck load.
The smugglers do not face any trouble in their illegal activity for it is done in connivance with hill-based armed groups after giving them some share of the profits.