Drugs seized, four arrested near Manipur-Myanmar border

Four drug traffickers carrying narcotic pills valued at Rs 60 lakh in the international market have been arrested near the Manipur-Myanmar border, police said on Tuesday.

The drug traffickers, arrested by the 12 Assam Rifles personnel from Khudengthabi area close to the border, were handed over to Moreh Police, H. Achouba, the Moreh Police Station House Officer, said.

The police said in the first incident, the troopers intercepted a car on Monday morning which had passed through some checkpoints in Moreh, the border town.

"Altogether 3,000 tablets of narcotics drugs were found inside the car and three traffickers were taken into custody. The seized contraband is valued at Rs 15 lakh," police said.

In the afternoon, another van going towards Imphal -- the state capital -- from Moreh was intercepted at the Assam Rifles checkpost. The troopers found 9,125 pills of narcotic drugs valued at Rs 45 lakh. One trafficker was nabbed.

All the four arrested persons, pills and the impounded vehicles were handed over to them, the police said.

The troopers have been making seizures of gold biscuits, drugs, illegal weapons and other contraband items at Khudengthabi, from time to time.

Manipur Home Minister N. Biren Singh said: "Police and paramilitary forces are engaged in normal patrolling and counter-insurgency operations, so most of them cannot be put on duty to check smuggling.

"But, once the IRB battalions are set up and police personnel recruited against vacant posts, the situation will improve."

However, some state officials said since the legalisation of border trade in 1995, smugglers and traffickers of all hues had been having a field day in these border areas.

--IANS

il/nir/bg