Mizoram: Assam Rifles seize narcotics, arms, foreign liquor; 1 Myanmar national held

The Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with various enforcement agencies of Mizoram, seized narcotics, illegal arms and explosives, and foreign liquor in separate raids across the state on April 5-6, an Assam Rifles spokesperson said.

On April 5, the Assam Rifles and personnel from the Mizoram police in Zokhawthar, apprehended a Myanmar national near Melbuk Crossing Point (Thingluangkai) in Champhai District.

“The individual, identified as Vanlalmara (42), resident of Tahan township of Myanmar’s Sagaing region, had illegally crossed the Tiau River into Indian territory. Heroin weighing 237gm worth ₹1.77 crore in the black market was seized from him,” the Assam Rifles said in a statement.

“This operation is another testament to Assam Rifles’ commitment to curbing cross-border narcotics smuggling. The apprehended individual and recovered contraband have been handed over to Zokhawthar Police for further investigation,” the forces said.

On the same day, acting on intelligence inputs regarding the movement of illegal foreign-origin liquor in the Zote international crossing at Champhai district, the Assam Rifles and the Customs Preventive Force of Champhai seized 16 cases of foreign-origin liquor that were found dumped at the crossing point.

In another separate operation on April 6 in Niawhtlang village of Siaha district in southern Mizoram, the Assam Rifles seized a huge cache of arms and explosives.

According to the statement, 122 detonators, 94 gelatin sticks, eight metres of safety fuse, one 12-bore rifle and assorted rounds of ammunition were seized from an individual in Niawhtlang village, which is about a 30-minute drive from the Myanmar border.

Mizoram shares a porous, unfenced 510-km international border with Myanmar, which has increasingly become a hotspot for various illegal activities.