Drugs being carried at OC's instruction
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, April 29 2013: All the eleven Manipur Police Commandos including two police officers, who were caught by a team of Thoubal Police Commandos while trying to smuggle out drugs into Moreh and beyond at Pallel yesterday, have been remanded to police custody for eight days after they were produced before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Thoubal today.

While deposing before the court, the two police officers leading the 11-member 'drug smuggler Police Commando team, namely Sub-Inspector Beisamayum Devdas of Singjamei Bheigyabati Leikai and Jamadar H Premananda of Iramsiphai, who is presently attached to the Moreh Commando Unit, revealed that they were carrying the Pseudoephedrine tablets worth crores of rupees in the international market as per the instructions of SI RK Binojit alias Bobi of Yaiskul Police Lane.

SI RK Binojit alias Bobi is presently the OC in-Charge of Moreh Commando Unit.

Arrested Police Commandos and officers

The two arrested police officer further revealed that the drug consignment had been handed over to them by one Mahommad Ali, s/o Kashim alias Abo at Patpan Lamkhai, Khongjom around 5 am yesterday.

However, they maintained that they did not know what were inside the sealed bags, and since Mohammad Ali often comes to Moreh and meet the OC in-charge, they are also familiar with him.

When the 11 accused commando personnel were brought before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate A Noutuneshwari today, the drugs as well as the arms and ammunition recovered from them were not produced.

So, the judge demanded to produce the seized materials.

Only then, a huge box containing the seized drugs was brought to the Court without the recovered arms and ammunition.

Therefore, the IO of the case requested the court to instruct the police for producing the seized arms and ammunition as well in the next hearing of the case.

Among the 11 police commandos who were arrested in the drug smuggling act, six of them namely Thanglenmang Touthang s/o late Yamkhogam Touthang of Pallel H Kotlenphai village; Maibam Henik Singh s/o M Nongthon Singh of Naharup Mayai Leikai; Ngangom Premjit s/o Ng Khomei of Chingmeirong Maning Leikai; Ningthoujam Surkumar s/o N Gopal of Khongman Mayai Leikai and Soram Ranbir of Imphal East Police Commando but now posted at Moreh and SI Beisamayum Devdas were travelling together in the Gypsy bearing registration no.MN01 X- 3392.The remaining five accused police commandos namely Jamadar H Premananda of Iramsiphai, Ningthoujam Nilamani s/o N Basanta of Pheiyang Mayai Leikai; Nongmaithem Priyokumar s/o N Sarat of Kakching Chumnam Leikai; Sorensangbam Opendrajit s/o S Tomba of Kiyam Siphai Amuraijam Leikai and Thokchom Bijendro Singh s/o Th Jugeshwar of Sarungpham Mayai Leikai were in the other Gypsy with no registration number of name plate.

According to the affidavit filed by Kakching Police Station under FIR number 62 (4) 2013, to the court of CJM Thoubal, commandos of Thoubal district Police under the leadership of Havildar A Kishorjit conducted frisking in front of Pallel Police Station, New building Gate since 4 am yesterday.

At around 6 am, two Maruti Gypsies having occupants dressed in Police uniform were seen coming from Imphal side.

As they approached the frisking party, suspicion arose as the big bags inside the vehicles could be seen from outside.

Therefore, the two Gypsies were stopped for verification and checking.

During the course of the checking, the Gypsy occupied by H Premananda Singh and his team, was found with a white plastic gunny bag containing 4680 strips (ten tablets in each strip) of Pseudoephedrine tablets marked as "Respified", out of which two packets of 5 strips each have been taken out as original samples and two packets of 5 strips each as duplicate samples in the possession of SI B Debson of CDO unit, Imphal East, now posted at Moreh.

On further checking the other Gypsy, 5880 strips of Pseudoephedrine tablets marked as "Respified", out of which two packets of 5 strips each have been taken out as original samples and two packets of 5 strips each as duplicate samples in the possession of Jem H Premananda, J/C No.727 of 1st IRB attached with CDO unit, Thoubal, now posted at Moreh was found, according to the affivadit.

In addition to this, another airbag 'deep purple in colour' containing 23 plastic packets of suspected Pseudoephedrine tablets, out of which 10 packets containing 26400 tablets each marked from A to J, 12 packets containing 18000 tablets each marked from K to V and one packet containing 21100 tablets marked as W, out of which 2 samples of 50 tablets each marked as A1 to W1 and A2 to W2 have been drawn out from all 23 packets.

Along with the drugs, the arms and ammunition of the 11 commando personnel were also seized from their possession.

The value of the seized drugs is worth about Rs 3,64,02,000 in the international market, according to a statement released by the Superintendant of Police, Thoubal.