AIZAWL: Mizoram’s Director General of Police (DGP) has identified Mizoram as a significant drug-trafficking route.
Speaking at a two-day training session focused on the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, on January 30, DGP Anil Shukla stressed on the importance of securing new routes through watchful policing by law enforcement and allied agencies.
He urged professionals to view their roles not merely as a duty but as a commitment to the well-being of the communities they serve.
“Waging war against drugs is a war we must win,” he was quoted by a national daily as saying.
Commending the relentless efforts of Mizoram Police and collaboration with various agencies, Shukla also highlighted the successful seizures of large quantities of narcotic drugs and the arrest of several accused within the state.
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The statistics from the previous year paint a vivid picture of the extent of the challenge of drug trafficking in the state.
The urgency of the matter is further highlighted by the alarming surge in drug-related deaths in Mizoram, with the State’s Excise and Narcotics Department reporting a total of 68 fatalities, including 11 women, between January and November 2023.
The law enforcement response was robust, with 273 NDPS cases registered, leading to the arrest of 385 individuals, including 55 Myanmarese nationals.
Mizoram Police also confiscated substantial amounts of illicit substances, including 68kg of heroin, 154kg of meth, 49kg of crystal meth, 113kg of marijuana, 211kg of pseudoephedrine, 5kg of opium, and 112 bottles of codeine, the daily reported.
The estimated value of the seized drugs in the local market reached a staggering Rs 49,02,42,395.
Addressing the issue of drug trafficking and abuse had been a key promise of the newly elected, Chief Minister Lalduhoma-led Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government.
Mizoram, being a dry state, prohibits the sale and consumption of liquor.
