Assam Rifles recovered 33 grams of heroin and 150 bags of smuggled Burmese areca nuts in two separate operations in east Mizoram's Champhai district on Friday, the force said in a statement.
One person was apprehended for possessing heroin, the statement said, adding the market price of both items is Rs 1.07 crore. The seized contraband and the accused were handed over to the customs department and police, the statement added.
It is to be noted that heroin worth over Rs 271 crore in the international market has been seized by law enforcement agencies in Mizoram since January 2023, an official said.
According to the official, 27.7 kg of heroin, mostly smuggled from Myanmar, worth around Rs 138.5 crore was seized by the state's Excise and Narcotics Department between January and June this year.
"The department also seized 15.3 kg of ganja (cannabis) and 4 kg of Methamphetamine tablets during the same period," he said. The official informed that the Mizoram Police seized 26.5 kg of heroin worth around Rs 132.5 crore between January and May, besides recovering 210.7 kg of Pseudoephedrine tablets and 25.38 kg of Methamphetamine tablets in this period.
A meeting of the 'Core Committee on Ruihol Do' (War against drugs) chaired by Mizoram Social Welfare and Excise Minister Lalrinawma on Friday expressed concerns regarding the increase of drug abuse in rural areas.
ALSO READ | Delhi: 16,000 kg drugs seized by police destroyed
ALSO READ | Rajasthan: Drone carrying drugs gunned down near International Border
