Aizawl, Sep 20 (IANS): The Border Security Force (BSF) along with Mizoram Police have seized four lakh Methamphetamine tables worth Rs 40 crore and arrested a drug peddler, officials said on Friday.
A BSF spokesman said that acting on a tip the border guarding forces along with the Special Narcotics Police of Mizoram Police Department intercepted a truck at Selling in the Aizawl district on the National Highway-6.
A thorough search of the vehicle was carried out in the presence of two independent witnesses and Police and recovered the 40 packets containing four lakh Methamphetamine tablets or Yaba tablets.
The drugs were hidden in the ceiling of the driver's cabin of the vehicle. The drug peddler, who is also the driver and owner of the truck, was also apprehended.
The spokesman said that the Mizoram and Cachar frontier of the BSF have seized around 6.30 lakh Methamphetamine tablets since January this year as part of its drive against drugs and narcotics.
Another official said that the highly addictive Methamphetamine tablets, also known as party tablets, were smuggled from Myanmar and were being ferried to other parts of India.
The most popular drugs among drug addicts contain a mix of methamphetamine and caffeine and are largely misused as high-dosage drugs in Bangladesh and neighbouring countries, besides India.
Illegal trade of drugs from Myanmar is rampant in Mizoram and the Assam Rifles, Mizoram Police and other law enforcing agencies often confiscate various drugs including heroin and methamphetamine tablets.
Officials, citing the drug peddlers, said that the Methamphetamine tablets, heroin and areca nuts were smuggled from neighbouring Myanmar and supplied to different Indian states and abroad.
Mizoram shares 510 km and 318 km of unfenced border with Myanmar and Bangladesh respectively.
Out of the state's 11 districts, most of the smuggling of drugs, explosives and other contraband from Myanmar takes place through Champhai district, adjoining Myanmar.
After the military takeover in conflict-ridden Myanmar in February 2021, the smuggling of various drugs including Methamphetamine tablets and heroin as well as areca nuts from the neighbouring country increased to a large extent.