Security forces in Tripura & Manipur have seized contraband and cattle worth Rs 3.94 crore, arresting four suspects. Operations led by Assam Rifles, BSF, and state police highlight intensified crackdowns on drug trafficking and smuggling near India’s porous borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Security forces have intensified their crackdown on smuggling activities in India’s northeastern region, leading to the seizure of contraband and cattle worth approximately Rs 3.94 crore in Manipur and Tripura within the past 24 hours. Officials confirmed that four individuals have been arrested in connection with the operations.
According to a Defence spokesperson, a joint team comprising the Assam Rifles and Manipur Police launched an operation based on specific intelligence inputs in the Savomphai area of Jiribam district. During the raid, two suspected drug peddlers were apprehended, and a major consignment of foreign cigarettes was seized. The haul included 98 bags, each containing 1,000 packets of foreign cigarettes, with an estimated market value of Rs 2 crore.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the contraband had been transported via boat from Tipaimukh and was intended to be smuggled into Bangladesh through southern Assam.
In a separate incident in Manipur’s Senapati district, Assam Rifles and Manipur Police conducted another successful operation at Mao Gate. This led to the arrest of two more drug peddlers and the recovery of 442 grams of brown sugar, concealed in 38 soap cases. The value of the seized narcotics is pegged at Rs 89.40 lakh.
Meanwhile, in Tripura, three separate operations carried out jointly by the Border Security Force (BSF) and state police led to the recovery of various contraband items, clothing, and 31 cattle. These seizures, made from different areas in South Tripura, are valued at Rs 1.04 crore.
Security officials emphasized that these successful operations underscore the coordinated efforts and unwavering commitment of the Assam Rifles, BSF, and state police in curbing illegal trade and narcotics trafficking in the northeastern region.
The region’s strategic geographical location, sharing largely unfenced borders with Myanmar (1,643 km) and Bangladesh (1,880 km), makes it a vulnerable conduit for cross-border smuggling, particularly of heroin, methamphetamine tablets, and other illicit goods.
| Also Read: India’s NE states on high alert along Bangladesh border|
Authorities reiterated their determination to intensify surveillance and operations along these border areas to dismantle the supply chains and networks facilitating such illegal activities.
