Drug trafficking in Mizoram increase amid ongoing unrest in Manipur

The current turmoil in Manipur resulted in the sealing of the Myanmar border, forcing the drug traffickers to use Mizoram as an alternate route, an officials said

By Isaac Zoramsanga

Mizoram state police and excise and narcotics department officials said that there has been an upsurge in drug trafficking across the Indo-Myanmar border amid the ongoing ethnic clash in neighbouring Manipur.

Mizoram shares a 404-km international border with Myanmar.

The officials expressed that the increase in drug trafficking in the state is due to the traffickers’ inability to smuggle the drugs through Manipur, which remained one of the most prominent conduits.

The current turmoil in Manipur resulted in the sealing of the Myanmar border, forcing the drug traffickers to use Mizoram as an alternate route, the officials said.

“Those arrested are not owners of the drugs, but mainly mules, who were carrying the drugs for the real owners, and the latter gave instructions by mobile phones” an official said.

The official further said that there is an abundant supply of heroin and Methamphetamine in Falam and Khawmawi in Chin state of Myanmar bordering Mizoram, as well as Tahan (Kalemyo) in Sagaing division in Myanmar.

People from Mizoram and non-tribal people from the neighbouring states of Assam and Tripura also became mules to make quick money, the official said, adding that there are new drug addicts among the youths in the state.

At least 40 people have died due to drug abuse in the state since January 1 until June 13, records of the state excise and narcotics department said.

The state excise and narcotics department officials have seized 29. 99 Kgs of heroin since January until June 15 as per the department’s updated record, and the quantity has increased immensely after the compilation of the seizure after June 15.

The state Police record shows that Police personnel seized 26. 52 Kgs of heroin from January 1 to May 31.

The Police seized 25. 38 kilos of Methamphetamine during the same period, while state excise and narcotics officials seized 4 kilos of Methamphetamine from January 1 to June 15.

Also Read: 1500 children from strife-torn Manipur enrolled in Mizoram schools

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