IMPHAL: Sleuths of the narcotics and affairs of border (NAB) of Manipur police and Assam Rifles troopers arrested at least two alleged drug smugglers and recovered 6 kilograms of brown sugar.
The seized brown sugar consignment has been estimated to be worth around Rs 12 crores in the international market, officials said on Thursday (April 06).
The arrests and seizures of the drugs that were smuggled into Manipur from Myanmar were made during different operations during the past 24 hours.
Acting on a tip, a combined team of NAB and Imphal police station in Manipur arrested two people, traveling in one Bolero car and one Maruti Alto car with illegal drugs from near Grace Lodge at Dewlahland in Imphal.
The team seized a carry bag that contained six transparent polythene packets of brown sugar weighing 3.033 kg in total, including the weight of the polythene packets, a Manipur home department statement asserted.
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The statement said that NAB registered a case under the ND&PS act against the duo.
The arrested duo have been identified as Paoginthang Touthang (42) from Touthang Veng, Saikul in Kangpokpi district and Khaijamang Touthang (33) from Yangoubung village, Moreh in Tengnoupal district of Manipur.
The impounded vehicles are now in the custody of the NAB, Manipur.
Meanwhile, in another drive against the illegal drug smuggling attempt, troopers of Assam Rifles posted along the India-Myanmar border pillar number 79 recovered brown sugar weighing 2.982 kgs packed in 70 soap cases at around 4 am on Thursday.
One person, suspected to be a Myanmaese national, who attempted to smuggle the drugs fled from an area of the BP 79 on seeing the foot patrolling party of the Assam Rifles leaving the contraband items behind, another official source said.
The recovered drugs have been handed over to the Moreh police station in Manipur for further legal proceedings, the source added.