Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 25 2010:
In the series of looting of trucks on the Imphal-Dimapur section of NH-39, life-saving drugs from a truck had been looted at Taphou under Senapati Police Station, an official source said today.
The life-saving drugs, which were being transported by an Imphal-bound truck bearing registration no.MN-01C-7788, were looted on March 13 last when the truck was heading toward Imphal with the load of medicines.
But police came to know about the incident only yesterday after the owner of the vehicle lodged a complaint with the Porompat police station in Imphal East district.
The medicines meant for a dealer, Dr N Achouba of Thoubal had been sent by the Hindustan Latex Limited from Guwahati as a consignment on February 17 last.
Some unknown persons looted the items near an Oil Pump at Taphou under Senapati police station on the NH-39.The driver, L Gopi and a handymen, whose name could not be confirmed, were reportedly threatened not to report the incident to police, stated the complaint lodged by the owner of the vehicle, Khuraijam Loya, a resident of Porompat Ayangpalli, Imphal East with the Porompat Police Station on Wednesday.
Porompat police transferred the case to Senapati Police Station for investigation as the place of occurrence lies within the jurisdiction of Senapati police station, the source said.
The instance was the third reported looting and hijacking of trucks on the stretch of the highway from Dimapur to Imphal, and amidst the apprehension of stopping supply of life saving drugs in Manipur by the drug companies outside the state owing to frequent looting of medicinal items and extortion activities on the highway.
On March 19, goods worth around Rs 20 lakh from an Imphal bound truck (bearing registration no.AS 01 BC-547) was looted at Chumukedima of Nagaland on the NH-39 even as another truck ferrying iron rod from Dimapur to Imphal bearing registration no.NL01G-0737 was hijacked on Tuesday last.
The later was released yesterday reportedly after negotiation between the hijackers and vehicle owner.
Most importantly, the hijacking of life saving drugs on the highway was amidst recent apprehension among the drug dealers of Manipur stopping supply of life saving drugs by the pharmaceutical companies of the country.
In the recent time also there were reports of hijacking life saving drugs which among them included offloading of medicines worth about Rs 70 lakh forcibly by some unidentified persons who claimed to be activists of KRA in connection with monetary demand from a truck ferrying the drugs after beat up the truckers in May last year.
The Manipur Chemists and Druggists Association (MCDA) has been appealing to the underground organisations not to collect any kinds of taxes or disturb in the smooth passage of vehicles ferrying life saving drugs reminding that companies may have stop sending this items in the state.