Assam Rifles, DRI seize drugs worth Rs 6 crore in Tripura, two held

Agartala, April 12 (IANS) The Assam Rifles in a joint operation with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), on Saturday, recovered 60,000 highly addictive methamphetamine tablets valued at more than Rs 6 crore, defence sources said.

A Defence spokesman said that the Assam Rifles intercepted a WagonR at Teliamura in Western Tripura's Khowai district and recovered the methamphetamine tablets, also known as Yaba or party tablets, contained in six packets.

Two drug peddlers identified as Dilbar Hussain and Md. Juber Ahmad were apprehended during the operation.

Hussain is a resident of Hailakandi and Md. Juber Ahmad is a resident of Karimganj in southern Assam.

The apprehended individuals, along with the recovered narcotics, were handed over to the DRI for further investigation and legal proceedings.

This operation underscores Assam Rifles' continued efforts in combating drug trafficking, the spokesman said.

A police official said that the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar and through Mizoram and southern Assam these contrabands ferried to Tripura to further smuggle to neighbouring Bangladesh.

Myanmar's Chin state is a hub for drug smuggling through six Mizoram districts -- Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip.

Champhai is a hotspot for the smuggling of various drugs, foreign cigarettes, areca nuts, arms and ammunition, and exotic animals and their parts.

Asserting his government's campaign of 'war on drugs' and has a zero-tolerance policy against drugs menace, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha recently said that the state police have registered 52 cases and 70 people were convicted in the last three years under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

He had said that various types of drugs, including methamphetamine tablets, Phensedyl cough syrup, and heroin, are coming into Tripura from Myanmar via Mizoram and Assam, while ganja is going out of the state.

Though Ganja (marijuana) is illegally cultivated in the state and not consumed in the state, and smuggled to other states, including Bihar, from Tripura, the Chief Minister had said.

CM Saha, who holds both Health and Family Welfare and Home Departments, said that the police and the other law enforcement agencies have been directed to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against the illegal drugs trade and various other drug menace.

Mizoram shares 510 km and 318 km unfenced border with Myanmar and Bangladesh, respectively while Tripura has 856 km frontier with Bangladesh.

--IANS

sc/khz