Assam Rifles seizes heroin worth Rs 80 lakh in Jiribam, 3 arrested

The Assam Rifles seized heroin worth Rs 80 lakh and apprehended three persons. Both the consignment and the men have been handed over to the police for legal proceedings.

Tezpur: In a joint operation with Jiribam police, the Srikona battalion of the Agartala sector Assam Rifles, under the aegis of Inspector General Assam Rifles (East), recovered 13 soap cases of heroin worth around Rs 80 lakh from Chotabekra in Jiribam district of Manipur. Three persons has been arrested in this connection.

According to a statement issued by the Assam Rifles, exploiting the current volatile situation in Manipur, the smugglers were trying to smuggle drugs from Manipur to Assam. In its crusade against narco terrorism, the security forces successfully foiled the smuggling bid. The consignment of heroin and the three apprehended persons were handed over to the Jiribam police for further legal proceedings.

"Drug trafficking is a major cause of concern in the northeast due to its proximity to the Golden Triangle. The Assam Rifles, rightly christened as the ‘Sentinels of Northeast’ have continued their efforts against narco-terrorism which is triggering insurgency in the area," an official said.

The operation has successfully contributed to the goal of preventing the youth from falling prey to drug menace. The current situation in Manipur is spearheading narco-terrorism as government of Manipur is destroying cultivation of poppy fields in the state. The ethnic violence in Manipur that erupted since May 3 is still continuing in the area.

According to data provided by security forces, Assam Rifles has seized drugs worth over Rs 1,610 crore between July 2022 and 2023 in Manipur. The figure is significantly high as in 2021-22 and 2020-21, Assam Rifles had seized drugs worth Rs 850 crore and Rs 1,200 crore respectively.