A team of Imphal East district police commandos on Sunday seized 3.51 kilogram of contraband heroin powder worth over Rs 30 crore in international market value and arrested a drug transporter along National Highway-2 from Mantripukhri Bazaar, Imphal.
The arrested drug transporter has been identified as one Md Samir (23), son of Md Hefajuddin of Lilong Chaobok Mairenkhun, Thoubal District.
Superintendent of police, Imphal East, Ksh Shivakanta Singh told media at his conference hall located at Porompat, Imphal East on Monday that based on a reliable input about transportation of contraband items along NH-2, the district commando team led by officer-in-charge, commando, Imphal East unit, Kh Henery Singh and officer-in-charge, Kh Pathou Meitei, under the command of additional superintendent of police (Ops), Imphal East, Kh Herojit Singh, and under his supervision took position at Sangakpham along NH-2 at around 4 pm.
He said after some time, a suspected four-wheeler (Scorpio) vehicle was spotted speeding up towards Mantripukhri side. The team chased the vehicle which stopped abruptly at Mantripukhri Bazar as it was blocked by a tanker at a crossing, Mercyland Mantripukhri, where two persons came out of the vehicle, bearing registration number WB-58BF-6620, and ran in opposite directions. It was then that Samir was caught, the SP said.
During verification, Samir disclosed his identity and on further checking of the vehicle, 256 soap cases, suspected to be containing heroin powder, were found concealed inside the vehicle. On weighing, the suspected heroin powder weighed 3.51 kg approximately, the SP informed.
Samir was arrested on the spot and he disclosed that the contraband drugs belong to one drug dealer from Lilong and on the advice of the said drug dealer, he, along with one of his associates, took the drugs from the dealer to transport the same to Guwahati.
Samir also disclosed that he was about to get a sum of Rs 25,000 as transportation charge.
An FIR has been registered at Heingang Police Station under FIR No. 44(04)2023 HNG-PS u/s 21(c)/60(3)/29 NDPS Act. Follow up action is being taken up to arrest other culprits, he added.
Shivakanta further said district police have identified the drug dealer and will be revealed soon but will be kept concealed for now as investigation is still under process. He also said the vehicle used while ferrying the seized drugs belongs to one person from West Bengal and district police will investigate in order to find out whether the said vehicle was a stolen vehicle or belongs to the same person.
