Drug kingpin held
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 07 2018: Md Masle, a notorious and wanted king pin of an international drug cartel, was arrested by a team of Narcotic and Affairs of Border (NAB) with the support of Thoubal police on May 30 and remanded to police custody till June 11.Briefing media persons ay his office chamber today, SP NAB W Basu said that the arrested individual, Md Masle alias Masleluddin alias Haji Baseluddin (63) s/o (L) Md Haider Ali of Lilong Turel Ahanbi (a wanted criminal) was arrested by NAB with the support of Thoubal police on May 30 as a part of their follow up action in connection with the seizure of a huge consignment of WY tablets at Kaimai check posts by personnel of 23 Assam Rifles on April 11 in which a retired DSP of Manipur police was also involved as well.

He said that Md Masle has been involved in drug business for more than 35 years and is the king pin of an international drug cartel spanning Myanmar, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and other parts of South East Asian country.

Md Masel is known as a druglord in all over Myanmar, Assam, Tripura, West Bengal, Bihar, UP, Nepal and Bangladesh, he added.

The NAB SP continued that during the course of the Kaimai drug case investigation, a retired DSP of Manipur police, Abdul Latif, his wife Nasim Begum of Dewlaland Kabow Leikai were arrested on April 13 while three drug cartel king pins identified Chalmawii Mizo Duhlian (53) w/o Hashim of Dalpati Road (near Madras Mandir, Moreh ward number 2), her daughter Lalrozami Mizo Duhlian (27) and her husband Sougaijam Robindro (28) s/o S Ibotombi of Kakching Wairi Thongam Leikai (presently staying at Moreh Supermarket, ward number 2) were arrested in May by a team of NAB and Tengnoupal district police from Moreh.

While checking the bank account statement of the arrested drug cartel kingpin family members, huge amount of money transactions (in terms of crores) were discovered.

The authorities also learned that a huge amount of the money had been deposited in the accounts of Md Masle and his son Md Syed Ahmed alias Syrin (27) who is also a leading drug kingpin of Manipur and who supply heroin and WY tablets from Myanmar to other parts of the country and to other places like Nepal and Bangladesh as well.

Based on the findings, NAB examined the relatives and locals of Lilong but most of them were scared to give any statement against Md Masle and did not cooperate with the NAB team.

As such NAB kept in touch with Delhi Police, Narcotics Control Bureau and other law enforcing agencies to dig up more information in connection with the international drug cartel, the SP informed.

During further course of the investigation, it also came to light that Md Masel is a wanted criminal with numerous cases lodged against him under .different sections at Lilong PS and Thoubal PS.

Speaking about the arrest, Brinda Thounaojam, Deputy SP NAB, said that on May 15, as a part of the investigation to arrest Md Masle and his son Md Syed Ahmed, a combined team of NAB and Thoubal district police launched a raid at the residence of Md Masle at Lilong Haoreibi Turel Ahanbi However, as soon as the combined team reached the residence and was about to search the house, Md Masle started shouting and called out the people from the locality.

He instantly collected a violent mob of around 60/70 people and allegedly commanded them to attack the police personnel, the Dy SP said.

She claimed that the mob encircled and attacked the police team by using deadly weapons like knives, iron rods, swords and wooden planks and also started beating up the drug addicts present in the area as distraction and to put the blame on the police team.

Md Masle incessantly incited the mob by shouting "kill them, don't allow them to leave the place alive" and "Back off Ramjan is starting, we will teach them a lesson", Brinda alleged.

She further claimed that the violent mob physically assaulted the police personnel and Md Masle also physically assaulted her and pushed her multiple times, issuing threats and warnings.

Showing exemplary courage, the police team stood their ground for sometime but when reinforcement team failed to arrive on time, they had to retreat from the place, Brinda said.

The Deputy SP continued that such attack upon security personnel is not the first of its kind as in other earlier occasions, unrulyvnob had attacked the combined security team whenever they went to arrest Md Masle.

As Md Masle needed to be arrested for smooth investigation of the case, a team of NAB and Thoubal district police laid a trap and finally arrested him on May 30 from Thoubal.

He was produced before the Special Court ND & PS and remanded to police custody remand till June 11.His son, Md Syed Ahmed is still at large and the authorities are working tirelessly to arrest him as well, Brinda added.

Apart from involvement in the drug case, Md Masle is allegedly involved in illegal cross border arms trade, gold smuggling and vehicle theft and if he is lodged in jail, 50 percent of the drug menace rampant in the State will subside, Brinda claimed.

She continued that the investigation is on for the arrest of other individuals involved in the drug cartel, gold smuggling and illegal arms trade.

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