Police in Meghalaya have seized narcotics worth over Rs 51 crore in the state’s largest drug haul to date, intercepting a vehicle in East Jaintia Hills district and arresting two men allegedly linked to an interstate and cross-border trafficking network.
The seizure was made during a joint naka-checking operation carried out by the Meghalaya Police and the Anti-Narcotics Task Force in the Ratacherra area on Friday.
Officials said a vehicle carrying three occupants, including the driver, was stopped during the operation. A search was conducted following legal procedures, leading to the discovery of narcotics concealed in different parts of the vehicle.
According to investigators, 19 plastic soap cases containing suspected heroin weighing 203.7 grams were recovered from one of the occupants. A further search led to the discovery of a blue trolley bag belonging to another passenger, inside which officers found suspected crystal methamphetamine tablets weighing 10.145 kg.
Methamphetamine tablets are banned in India and are often trafficked through cross-border networks operating in the Northeast.
Two of the three occupants were taken into custody. Police said both arrested individuals are residents of Mizoram, while the third occupant is being questioned as part of the ongoing probe.
Vikash Kumar, chief of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force, said the total value of the seized narcotics is estimated at around Rs 51.13 crore in the international market.
Also read: Global drug racket busted; 6 held with MDMA haul
Preliminary investigations indicate the accused may be linked to a larger interstate and cross-border drug trafficking network, which is believed to operate across several northeastern states and neighbouring countries.
A case has been registered at the ANTF police station, and further investigations are underway to trace the supply chain, financial links and possible accomplices involved in the trafficking network.
Background
While the seizure marks the largest drug haul ever recorded in Meghalaya, it is smaller compared to some of the biggest narcotics busts reported in India in recent years.
One of the country’s largest drug seizures took place in 2021 when the **Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized nearly 3,000 kg of heroin worth about Rs 21,000 crore at Mundra Port in Gujarat. The consignment, concealed in containers declared as talc stones, was linked to an international trafficking syndicate.
Authorities say the growing number of seizures in the Northeast reflects intensified efforts by enforcement agencies to crack down on narcotics smuggling routes passing through the region.
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