Guwahati: Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Thursday reaffirmed his government’s unwavering commitment to combat the escalating drug smuggling crisis plaguing the state, particularly from neighboring Myanmar.
During a crucial meeting with a delegation from the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), led by Chairperson Antar Singh Arya, CM Lalduhoma outlined the state’s proactive measures to curb the drug menace.
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“Our government has constituted a coordination committee to accelerate the fight against the drug menace,” Lalduhoma asserted.
Mizoram, sharing a porous 828-kilometer international border with Myanmar and Bangladesh, has become a hotspot for drug trafficking.
According to the state Excise and Narcotics department’s record, the authorities seized various kinds of drugs in 2024, including 46.5 kg of heroin, 138.8 kg of Methamphetamine tablets, and 586.6 kg of ganja.
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The record stated that authorities arrested a total of 7,309 people in drug and alcohol-related offenses during the same period.
The state police’s data also indicated that authorities seized drugs and substances worth over Rs 211 crore and arrested 468 people in drug-related offenses in 2024.
Among others, the seized drugs included 80.8 kg of heroin valued at Rs 24.25 crore, 627.7 kg of Methamphetamine tablets worth over Rs 81.6 crore and 35 kg of crystal meth worth over Rs 105 crore, the data said.
Tragically, drug abuse claimed the lives of at least 71 people, including 11 women, in the past year alone, according to Excise and Narcotics department officials.
During the meeting, Chief Minister Lalduhoma also addressed the importance of Hindi education in Mizoram, aligning with the NCST’s emphasis on promoting the language in the northeastern state.
“Our government favours implementation of a three-language formula in all educational institutions across the state in a bid to promote Hindi education,” Lalduhoma informed the NCST delegation.
Furthermore, the Chief Minister mentioned the ongoing construction of six working women’s hostels.