Man sentenced to 10 yrs in jail for smuggling cannabis in Mizoram

A local court here sentenced a man to 10 years rigorous imprisonment Monday for smuggling cannabis, a state excise and narcotics department spokesperson said.

Special Judge (ND and PS) Lucy Lalrinthari also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 on him, he said.

The spokesperson said that this was the harshest punishment given to a possessor or a trafficker of cannabis in the state so far.

Thangliana, 33, a resident of Hrianghmun village in Mizoram, near the state's border with Manipur, was arrested by the state excise and narcotics department officials in February last year with more than 22 kg of cannabis.

He was smuggling cannabis from Kawlbem village near Manipur border to Aizawl when he was arrested.

Since the seized quantity of cannabis was classified as "commercial quantity" by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, the accused was liable to be punished with an imprisonment of up to 20 years along with a fine of up to Rs 2 lakh.