The bust adds to a growing list of drug seizures across Mizoram, with officials warning of increased trafficking via Myanmar.
BY PC Bureau
August 3 — In one of the largest drug seizures in Mizoram’s history, state police confiscated over ₹350 crore worth of crystal methamphetamine and heroin, highlighting a troubling surge in cross-border drug trafficking through the Northeast. One individual has been arrested in connection with the case.
Acting on a tip-off, a joint team comprising personnel from the Criminal Investigation Department (Special Branch) and the Special Narcotics Police Station launched an operation near Aizawl on August 1. The team intercepted a pickup truck transporting Mithun cattle along a route between Zemabawk and Seling, just outside the capital.
During a thorough search, officers uncovered a hidden compartment within the vehicle containing:
20.304 kilograms of crystal meth (estimated market value: ₹300 crore), and
1.652 kilograms of heroin, hidden in 128 soap cases, worth an additional ₹49.56 lakh.
The vehicle’s driver, B. Lalthazuala (45), a resident of Republic Mual Veng in Aizawl, was arrested at the scene. He has been booked under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and is currently in police custody.
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Spike in Drug Seizures Raises Alarm
This seizure comes amid a growing trend of narcotics trafficking across Mizoram’s porous border with Myanmar. Officials say there has been a noticeable spike in drug busts in recent months, with traffickers using increasingly sophisticated concealment methods.
According to senior police officials, the strategic location of Mizoram, sharing a 510-kilometre border with Myanmar, has made it a key transit point for drugs, especially methamphetamine and heroin originating from the infamous Golden Triangle region.
Authorities are now intensifying surveillance along known smuggling corridors and have called for greater central assistance to curb the escalating drug trade. Investigations are also underway to identify the larger network behind the shipment, with police not ruling out cross-border syndicate involvement.
