Aizawl: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted a large consignment of smuggled methamphetamine tablets near Aizawl in Mizoram, on June 3.
Acting on intelligence, officials stopped a vehicle on the Aizawl-Champhai Road and uncovered 16 brick-sized packages of pink/orange methamphetamine tablets.
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The tablets, cleverly concealed in hidden compartments beneath the rear seat and within the fuel tank, weighed a total of 16 kilograms and are valued at approximately Rs 16 crore in the international illicit drug market.
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The vehicle and the narcotics were seized, and both the driver and his accomplice were arrested under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
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Initial investigations revealed that the consignment was smuggled from neighboring Myanmar. However, in a dramatic twist, one of the accused managed to assault a DRI officer and escape custody during court proceedings on the morning of June 4. A coordinated manhunt involving local police and community led to his recapture at Hridaikawn, Tlangnuam on the outskirts of Aizawl.
This marks the second major methamphetamine seizure in Mizoram within a week. On May 30, the DRI confiscated 9.72 kilograms of the same drug and arrested one person in Seling.
Authorities reiterated that under the NDPS Act, trafficking of such contraband attracts stringent penalties, including up to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. The DRI acknowledged the vital of the local police and community in their ongoing battle against drug smuggling in the region.