Guwahati, Jan 14 (IANS): The Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police on Tuesday seized over 1.128 kg of heroin worth Rs nine crore and arrested two drug peddlers from Manipur, officials said.

An Assam Police spokesman said the STF sleuths intercepted an SUV at Amingaon in Kamrup district and recovered the heroin from the secret chambers of the vehicle.

The heroin was hidden in 94 soap boxes.

The drugs were smuggled from Myanmar and through Mizoram were ferried to Assam, said the officials. The STF personnel arrested driver Onkhogin Touthing and co-driver Thangkhaelien, both residents of Churachandpur district in Manipur.

The spokesman said the vehicle came from Mizoram and the driver and co-driver planned to supply the drugs to Hajo and Goreswar-based drug peddlers Nurul Hussain (of Dampur, Hajo) and Bitul Ali (of Goreswar).

The STF personnel also arrested Hussain and Ali.

A case has been registered under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985.

Last week the Assam Police seized drugs worth over Rs 11 crore in three separate operations from the state’s Cachar and Karbi Anglong districts.

Police seized 1.17 kg of heroin worth Rs 5.1 crore from the Dighar Fulertol area in the Cachar district while 73.97 kg of ganja worth Rs 38 lakh was seized from Dhanehari.

The police also intercepted a bus coming from a neighbouring state at Dillai Tiniali and seized another 1.22 kg of heroin worth Rs 6 crore in Karbi Anglong district.

Officials said that in most cases drugs smuggled from Myanmar were ferried to Assam, Tripura, other states of India and abroad through Mizoram, which shares a 510 km unfenced border with Myanmar.

Out of 11 districts in Mizoram, six districts -- Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual and Serchhip -- share a border with Myanmar's Chin state. Most of the drugs, including highly addictive methamphetamine tablets (also known as Yaba tablets), and heroin are illegally traded through the Champhai district.