Heroin valued at Rs 35.51 crore seized in Mizoram, two arrested

Aizawl, Jan 25 (IANS) Heroin valued at Rs 35.51 crore was seized from Mizoram and two people were arrested in this connection, officials said on Saturday.

The Assam Rifles along with the officials of the Excise and Narcotics Department have seized heroin, smuggled from Myanmar.

A defence spokesman said that the Assam Rifles troops accompanied by Excise and Narcotics Department officials intercepted a truck at Chhungte on National Highway-6 while the vehicle was moving from bordering Champhai district to the capital city Aizawl on Friday night.

He said that after a thorough search of the vehicle, 5073 grams heroin valued at Rs 35.51 crore was recovered from the hidden chamber of the truck.

The para-military personnel apprehended two individuals -- Gilbert Lalnunhlima (27) and Lalawmpuia (29). They are residents of Mizoram's Kolasib and Aizawl districts respectively.

The entire consignment along with apprehended drug peddlers have been handed over to Excise and Narcotics Department for further legal proceedings.

"Ongoing smuggling of narcotics is a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram and India. Assam Rifles, have continued their efforts against illegal smuggling and have also doubled its efforts to nab the kingpins of the smuggling of narcotics in Mizoram," an official statement said.

Earlier this week, the Assam Rifles and Mizoram police personnel seized 260 cases of foreign cigarettes worth Rs 3.38 crore and arrested one person in Lawngtlai district.

Even though six Mizoram districts - Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual and Serchhip - share a 510 km-long unfenced border with Myanmar's Chin state, mountainous Champhai district is the hot spot of the smuggling of various drugs, arms and ammunition and various other contraband.

Various drugs, especially heroin and highly addictive methamphetamine tablets are often smuggled into the northeastern states of India from Myanmar, which shares a 1,643 km-long unfenced border with four northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km), Nagaland (215 km) and Mizoram (510 km).