New Delhi: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has identified Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Tripura as the major hub of drugs smuggling as these States in the northeastern region are used by the drug smugglers to transit the illicit drugs across India.
Talking to ETV Bharat, Sanjay Kumar Singh, NCB's deputy director-general (operation) said that law enforcing agencies in all these northeastern States have been put on high alert. "Assam is a transit route for all drug traffickers. Drugs coming from Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura move towards other parts of the country via Assam whereas pharma drugs on its way towards Bangladesh smuggle through Guwahati," said Singh.
The NCB has recently arrested a major illegal drug stockiest from Assam after the agency unearthed a major drug cartel that was running through the darknet. In the said breakthrough, 22 active members of the darknet syndicate were arrested in simultaneous raids conducted in 11 states across India including Assam. When asked about the victims of the drug racket, Singh said that drug racketeers mainly target youths between 15-35 years of age.
Apart from Guwahati, the drug runners also target youths in the major capital cities of the Northeast including Shillong, Aizawal, Imphal, Kohima among others. Significantly, the NCB has recently arrested Ataur Rahman, son of drug kingpin Pakhi Miyan, along with a massive consignment of morphine amounting Rs 14 crore from Guwahati.
It may be mentioned here that India's strategic location (northwest and northeast) places the country between the two largest sources of illicit drugs in South Asia Golden Crescent (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) on the northwest and the infamous Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Thailand and Laos) on the northeast.
From the northwest, drugs come into India via J&K, Punjab, whereas in the northeast drugs are being injected via Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and then distribute to other states of the country via Guwahati (Assam).
The pumping of drugs into the region has further increased the concern of the law enforcing agencies following reports that underground militant organisations have also been involved in the drug business to get money and weapons.
Read: African woman tries to smuggle drugs worth Rs 10 crore in private parts, detained
