Four drug peddlers have been arrested with heroin worth Rs 3.5 lakh during an operation in south Mizoram’s Siaha town on Tuesday, an official of Mizoram excise and narcotics department said on Wednesday.
He said sleuths of the excise and narcotics department conducted a raid along Bualpui (NG) Road in Siaha near the India-Myanmar border around 11:40 pm on Tuesday and seized 124 grams of heroin from the possession of the four drug peddlers.
The accused have been identified as Gospel Vanlalliana (26) and Vanlalngheta (24), both from Bulfekzawl village in Champhai district, and Runkianlova (41) from Champhai town and Thanglianmunga (48) of Aizawl’s Bawngkawn locality, he said.
One Maruti Alto car used for transporting the contraband has also been seized by the officials.
The four accused were booked under relevant sections of ‘The Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985’.
Also read: Heroin, foreign cigarettes seized in Mizoram along Myanmar border
Officials of the excise and narcotics department also raided Rangvamual neighbourhood and adjoining areas on Tuesday and destroyed a sizeable number of liquor factories and local-made alcohol, the official said.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the excise and narcotics department said at least 37 people, including 3 females, have died due to drug abuse between January to August 17 this year.
The department also seized 9.93 kg of heroin, 25,609 litre of locally brewed liquor and arrested 1,877 people in drug-related cases during the same period, the statement said.