Drugs smugglers from Manipur are now using LPG tankers for transshipment of high-quality Heroin to Assam.
Acting on an intelligence input, a team of officers from CGST Tinsukia Division, along with Customs (Preventive) units of Tinsukia and Dibrugarh seized 219 gm of Heroin from a LPG tanker on the Tinsukia Bypass.
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Officials said the LPG tanker bearing registration number MN 01AA-1112 was coming from Imphal to Gopanary LPG Bottling plant located at Makum in Tinsukia district.
The vehicle was intercepted on Sunday by the officers on Tinsukia Bypass, and searched it thoroughly.
The consignment consisting of high-quality Heroin was recovered from a secret cavity below the steering wheel of the vehicle.
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The drugs consignment was concealed in 20 soap cases, which were heat sealed in transparent polythene. The vehicle has also been seized.
The driver and the helper of the vehicle have been arrested, and were interrogated by the officials of the enforcement agencies.
The value of the seized drugs is estimated to be Rs 1.52 crore, the officials said.
From prima facie investigation, it has come to fore that the truck driver was likely to handover the drugs consignment to a key operative of a smuggling network in Makum.
It is being suspected that the consignment was smuggled in from Myanmar, which is the production hub of Heroin and ecstasy drugs.
During the last couple of years, Upper Assam districts of Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia has seen a growth in number of drug addicts.
Meanwhile, the enforcement agencies involved in the seizure of the Heroin consignment have alerted their counterparts in Imphal, and efforts are on to launch a massive crackdown on the international drugs smuggling network.