Aizawl: Assam Rifles and Mizoram Police jointly seized 17.946 kg of methamphetamine tablets valued at over Rs. 54 crore in Lawngtlai district, Mizoram, officials confirmed on Sunday.
A Myanmar national was apprehended in connection with the haul.
Acting on intelligence inputs, the joint team conducted a swift operation on Saturday night near Siachangkawn, a border area with Bangladesh, recovering 1,80,000 methamphetamine tablets, known as Yaba or party drugs.
The contraband and the arrested individual have been handed over to the Bualpui Police outpost for further investigation.
“This seizure underscores our commitment to combating drug trafficking and protecting the youth from the narcotics menace,” an Assam Rifles spokesperson stated.
A senior Mizoram police official revealed that the tablets were smuggled from Myanmar and intended for Bangladesh via clandestine routes.
Mizoram’s extensive unfenced borders—510 km with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh—make it a key transit point for drug and wildlife trafficking.
Expressing concern over the rising drug abuse in the state, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma urged citizens to work together for a drug-free Mizoram.
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He advocated for stronger legal and community-based measures, emphasizing the potential of Mizo traditional social sanctions in curbing drug trafficking.
Myanmar’s Chin State has emerged as a hub for contraband smuggling, with Mizoram’s districts—Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip—serving as key transit zones.
Security forces continue their efforts to curb the inflow of illegal drugs and contraband in the region.
