Guwahati, Jan 20, 2025, IANS

Guwahati/Itanagar, Jan 20 (IANS) Security personnel seized drugs and ganja (cannabis) worth Rs 2.38 crore and arrested three drug peddlers during the past 24 hours in three northeastern states -- Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, officials said on Monday. Drugs worth Rs 1 crore were recovered in southern Assam’s Cachar district and a person was arrested in this connection, officials added. Police intercepted a vehicle at Digharkhal Toll Gate in Cachar district after it came from neighbouring Mizoram. Over 8,640 bottles of Codeine Phosphate cough syrup and 2 kg ganja, valued at Rs one crore were recovered from the vehicle. Various cough syrups were used as drugs in different northeastern states and neighbouring Bangladesh. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in a post on X appreciated the police for the seizure of the drugs. In Arunachal Pradesh, ganja worth about Rs 1.33 crore was seized in West Kameng district. A police official said that over 1,654 kg of cannabis was seized at Betchilling village under Kalaktang police station area. The cannabis were contained in various bags and trunks. The police registered a case under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985 and search is on to apprehend those involved in cannabis smuggling, official said. In Mizoram, Assam Rifles in coordination with Excise and Narcotics department recovered 7.16 gram heroin worth Rs 5.01 lakh from Siaha Town and apprehended two drug peddlers. Seizure of drugs, mostly smuggled from Myanmar, is a regular occurrence in the northeastern states, especially in Mizoram, Assam, Tripura and Manipur. Various drugs, especially heroin and highly addictive methamphetamine tablets are often smuggled into the northeastern states of India from Myanmar, which shares a 1,643 km-long unfenced border with four northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km), Nagaland (215 km) and Mizoram (510 km).