Drugs valued at Rs 2.84 cr seized in Manipur, two held

Imphal/Silchar, May 24 (IANS) Security forces in Manipur arrested two drug peddlers, including a woman in Churachandpur district and recovered drugs worth over Rs 2.84 crore and cash amount of Rs 37.5 lakh from their possession, officials said on Saturday.

A police official said that the security forces arrested a drug smuggler, identified as Doukholet Hanghal (52), from his residence at Mongkot Khopi village under Churachandpur district on Friday night.

The security personnel, after a thorough search of his residence, recovered 870 grams of brown sugar valued at Rs 1.74 crore, 20 soap cases containing heroin weighing 260 grams valued at Rs 52 lakh. Rs 29.5 lakh, acquired by the individual from drug deals, two radio sets and a mobile phone were also recovered from the possessions of the detainee.

In another incident, the security personnel arrested a woman drug peddler identified as Chigenvung (46) from her residence at Tangnuam village in the same Churachandpur district on Friday night.

In all 25 soap cases containing brown sugar weighing 289 grams valued at around Rs 60 lakh, a cash amount of Rs 8 lakh and a mobile phone were recovered from her residence.

The police official said that the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar, as the hilly Churachandpur district shares an unfenced border with the neighbouring country.

Security forces also arrested a cadre identified as Jameson Ngangbam (21) of the banned outfit People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) from Manipur's Kamjong district, and a pistol along with some ammunition were recovered from his possession.

Meanwhile, the Border Security Force (BSF) of Mizoram and Cachar frontier seized 95 bags (1710 kg) of smuggled garlic from Bangladesh in the border area of Mizoram’s Mamit district. The value of the contraband is Rs 2.73 lakh.

Adjoining Myanmar and Bangladesh share 1,643 km and 1,880 km, mostly unfenced border with northeastern states, respectively and serve as key transit points for various drugs, particularly heroin and methamphetamine tablets, entering India.

--IANS

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