Imphal/New Delhi: Narcotics worth Rs 500 crore were seized from Manipur’s Moreh town near the India-Myanmar border. This is one of the biggest drug hauls in the Northeastern state’s history, officials said Tuesday. In a joint operation by the Manipur Police and 43 Assam Rifles, a warehouse was raided Monday afternoon, Tenugopal district’s Superintendent of Police Vikramjit told reporters.
About 54 kg of brown sugar (an adulterated form of heroin) packed in 3,716 soap cases, and 152 packets of crystal methamphetamine weighing 154kg were seized in the raid, officials said. The warehouse was under surveillance for some time, following which the raid was conducted, police said. A Myanmar national was arrested in connection with the seizures, they informed. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway, they added.
Congratulating the forces, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said, “Marvellous achievement by Tengnoupal Police & 43 Assam Rifles on seizing illegal narcotics substances worth Rs 500 Cr from a warehouse in Moreh.”
Singh said it was one of the biggest seizures of drugs in the state’s history under the ‘War on Drugs’ drive of the Manipur government.
“Narco-terrorism is a major source of finance for the Indian terrorist groups based in Myanmar. It has umbilical cord linkages with other players in the ‘golden triangle’ (the confluence of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar). This scourge is the main reason for rise in drug addiction among the youths of India, especially the northeast region. It is also a source for fuelling terrorism in the region,” the Assam Rifles said in a statement.
