Drugs seized by Assam Rifles
The drugs seized by Assam Rifles. Image credit - Northeast Now

The troops of Assam Rifles during an operation recovered a huge consignment of contraband drugs worth Rs 28 crore from a place near Moreh along the Indo-Myanmar border in the Tengnoupal district of Manipur.

Guwahati-based defence PRO Lt. Col. P. Khongsai in a press statement on Monday informed that the drugs were recovered on Saturday.

Khongsai said based on a specific input received from sources regarding presence of contraband items in a house of Phaicham Veng, Moreh, a team of Assam Rifles and Moreh Police including Mahila constables conducted a search of the house.

The house belonged to a lady named Vahjahat Haokip, wife of late Kamnit.

“A thorough search of house led to recovery of a large quantity of contraband items hidden inside wooden walls and ceiling of the house,” said the defence PRO.

The recovered items included 5,04,000 WIY (World Is Yours) tablets weighing 53.54 Kg, Crystal Ice Myth weighing 15.269 Kg, Ketamine weighing 2.206 Kg,  Phencydile 194 bottles, Indian currency notes worth Rs 74,150 and Burmese 49,000 Kyats, informed Khongsai.

The approximate worth of the recovered contraband items is Rs 28 crore.

“The recovered contraband items and the apprehended individual have been handed over to Moreh Police for further legal action,” Khongsai added.

In another incident, the troops of Assam Rifles recovered brown sugar worth Rs 1.23 cr from a place near Khudengthabi Check-post in Tengnoupal district of Manipur on Saturday, said defence PRO Khongsai.

“Based on a specific intelligence regarding transportation of contraband items through the forest to avoid Khudengthabi Check-post, two suspected individuals were spotted by the team. On being challenged, both individuals ran into the forest,” he added.

“The search team then carried out a detailed search of the area and recovered one bag containing suspected brown sugar weighing approximately 618 grams,” said KHongsai.

The recovered items have been handed over to Moreh Police Station for further investigation, he further said.