Drugs worth over Rs 508 cr seized in Moreh
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 07 2021: In the biggest ever drug haul in northeast India, Assam Rifles and Tengnoupal district police seized over 154 kg methamphetamine tablets and more than 54 kg heroin estimated to worth over Rs 508 crore and arrested one Myanmar national.

Tengnoupal district superintendent of police (SP) Vikramjit Singh said in a statement that the Assam Rifles and the police in a joint operation seized heroin powder weighing 54.141 kg and methamphetamine tablets weighing 154.314 kg from a house at Sunrise Ground in Moreh town on Monday.

Regarding the raid, the statement said specific intelligence inputs were collected that led to some places in Moreh town near the international border being used for stocking, repackaging and acting as redistribution facility for narcotics substances smuggled in large quantities from Myanmar.

Based on further specific information, the joint team identified one specific house.

The teams deployed were keeping a close watch on the house and waiting for the right moment.

Around 2 pm on Monday, the combined team spotted one person coming out of the suspected house near Sunrise Ground, riding a two-wheeler and carrying a red bag.

The team stopped the individual and upon searching Ms bag, recovered approximately 20 large boxes.

Each box contained 11 soap cases of suspected narcotics (heroin), the SP said.

The individual was arrested from the spot along with 220 soap cases containing heroin and one Kenbo bike from his possession.

The arrested person has been identified as Monkhai (19), son of late Thang En Mang from Myanmar's Khampat.

The SP said the seizure corroborated our input beyond doubt about the storage of a huge quantity of narcotic substances at the target location.

So, the combined team further searched the targeted house.

During the house search, 3,716 soap cases containing suspected heroin powder and 152 packe ts of suspected Crystal Meth (Methamphetamine) drugs were recovered, which were concealed inside the front room of the said house, informed the SP.

The team also recovered plastic packaging materials, he added "The cost of the seized heroin powder is expected to be around Rs 108 crore and that of the methamphetamine (Crystal Meth) tablets around Rs 400 crore in the international market", he said.

Under the joint supervision of 43 Assam Rifles commandant colonel Sumit Sood and SP Vikramjit Singh the combined teams led by major Bharat of the AR battalion, and Tengnoupal district police and CDO Moreh led by Subedar Sanjeev Kumar Yengkhom successfully seized the large cache of drugs which were meant to be ferried to other parts of India.

The arrested person and the seized narcotics have been handed over to the Moreh police station and a case registered under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Further probe is on, the statement added.

Appreciating the security forces for the record drugs seizure, chief minister N Biren tweeted: "Marvellous achievement by Tengnoupal Police and 43 Assam Rifles in seizing illegal narcotics substances worth Rs 500 crore from a warehouse in Moreh.

On receiving a reliable input, the combined team had arrested one Myanmar national with 220 soap cases of suspected heroin.

"Upon his revelation, a warehouse was raided and 3,716 soap cases containing suspected heroin and 152 packets of suspected Crystal Meth (methamphetamine) were seized.

This is one of the biggest seizures under the War on Drugs' initiative of the state government".

A defence spokesman said that Assam Rifles has been at the forefront in combating cross-border narco-terrorism and insurgency emanating from Myanmar.

"Narco-terrorism is a major source of finance for the terrorist groups based in Myanmar.

It has linkages with the other players in the Golden Triangle' .

"This scourge is the main reason for the rise in drug addiction among the youth of India, especially in the northeast region.

It is also a source for fuelling terrorism in the region," the spokesman said.

Methamphetamine, commonly known as Yaba' or party tablets', is a synthetic drug used widely by the youth in Bangladesh and its neighbouring countries, besides India.

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