Aizawl, (Asian independent) Troopers of Assam Rifles in separate raids have seized drugs and Areca nuts, smuggled from Mynamar, worth of Rs 6.35 crore in Mizoram and arrested three persons in connection with the case, officials said on Friday.
The para-military troopers also recovered three AK-56 rifles, three empty magazines and 2,30,000 kyat (Myanmar currency) from a deserted place in a jungle area of Zotein in eastern Mizoram.
Assam Rifles officials said that the troopers of the force in separate raids in eastern Mizoram on Thursday and Friday seized 260 bags of Areca nut, commonly known as betel nut, 612.8 gm heroin and 2,69,000 Methamphetamine tablets.
The Customs Preventive Force also accompanied the Assam Rifles jawans during the operations.
An Assam Rifles statement said that ongoing smuggling of drugs and other contraband are a major cause of concern for Mizoram, especially along the India-Myanmar border.
The seized drugs contain a mix of Methamphetamine and Caffeine which are misused as high-dosage drugs in Bangladesh and neighbouring countries, besides India.
Officials said the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar which shares 1,643 km of unfenced border with four northeastern states — Mizoram (510 km), Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km) and Nagaland (215 km).
Smuggling of drugs, arms and other contraband worth crores of rupees takes place frequently in the northeastern region from across the borders, especially from Myanmar.
