DRI seized 50 kg of methamphetamine in two operations in Mizoram and Assam, arresting four people and confiscating three vehicles over suspected Myanmar-linked smuggling.
Imphal, Oct. 30: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 50 kg of methamphetamine, including 30 kg of tablet-form narcotics known as Yaba and 20 kg of crystal methamphetamine, in two intelligence-led operations in Mizoram and Assam. Four people have been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
The seizures were made on October 29 and 30 during operations conducted with assistance from the Assam Rifles. Investigators suspect that the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar, according to information released by the DRI.
Three vehicles allegedly used to transport the contraband were also seized during the operations.
Yaba Tablets Found Hidden Inside Office Furniture
The first operation was conducted on October 29 after the DRI received intelligence about multiple consignments of narcotics being transported from Zokhawthar towards Aizawl and Silchar.
Acting on the information, DRI officers, with operational assistance from the Assam Rifles, intercepted a Mahindra Bolero Camper on the outskirts of Aizawl along the Aizawl–Champhai Road.
A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 30 brick-sized packets containing pinkish-orange tablets weighing a total of 30 kg. The tablets were concealed inside a specially constructed cavity in an office table fitted with a storage cabinet.
According to the DRI, the use of furniture to conceal narcotics appeared intended to make the vehicle look as though it was carrying ordinary household or office goods.
The recovery points to an attempt to disguise the consignment among seemingly routine cargo while transporting the drugs along the route.
Crystal Meth Seized from Truck Near Silchar
In a second operation on October 30, DRI officers, again assisted by the Assam Rifles, intercepted an Ashok Leyland truck and a Bolero Camper at Dholai, around 40 km from Silchar in Assam.
A search of the truck resulted in the recovery of 20 packets containing crystal methamphetamine, with a combined weight of 20 kg.
The packets had been hidden above the driver's cabin and packed in tea packets bearing foreign markings, apparently to avoid detection. Field testing indicated the presence of amphetamine in the recovered substance, the DRI said.
The two operations together resulted in the seizure of 50 kg of methamphetamine in tablet and crystal forms.
Four Arrested, Three Vehicles Seized
Four people have been arrested in connection with the two cases under the NDPS Act, 1985. The DRI also seized all three vehicles used for transporting the drugs.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the seized narcotics originated in Myanmar and were smuggled into India. Further investigation is expected to focus on the supply chain and the networks involved in moving the consignments through the region.
The DRI said the latest seizures followed two other major methamphetamine seizures in Northeast India involving 232 kg and 56 kg, respectively.
The successive recoveries point to the continuing challenge posed by cross-border trafficking in synthetic drugs. The Northeast's international-border routes remain an area of concern for enforcement agencies seeking to intercept narcotics consignments and identify the networks responsible for their movement.
The DRI reiterated its commitment to disrupting organised narcotics trafficking, preventing the spread of synthetic drugs and addressing the wider social and public health consequences associated with drug abuse.
