IMPHAL: Manipur Police on Tuesday said they have arrested four alleged smugglers including a female along with opium, foreign cigarettes, and Amphetamine tablets worth around Rs 10 crore in the international market.
One Chinese-made Kenbo bike and a car used in the smuggling have also been recovered from them.
Arrests and seizures have taken place at different locations across the state.
Thangbiaklun Guite, 40, and Nangkhenmang Munluah, 42, both from Suangdoh village of Manipur’s Churachandpur district were arrested along with 16 kgs of high-quality opium during a raid at an area of Zaupi camp about 15 km from Singhat police station.
One foreign-made Kenbo bike has also been recovered from them.
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The value of the drugs would be around Rs two crores in the international market, the police asserted.
In another action, one alleged female smuggler namely Lalzarzo, 50, from Muolvaiphei village in Churchandpur district was also arrested along with 78,000 Amphetamine tablets weighing 7.91 kilograms worth Rs seven crore.
She was arrested along with the illegal items at Wahengbam Leikai, Imphal, police informed.
In yet other actions, one suspected smuggler later identified as Ngaopunii Anthony from Purul Akutpa village in Senapati district was also arrested along with 50 boxes loaded with foreign cigarettes smuggling into the state from Myanmar through international Moreh on his vehicle.
The value of the illegal items would be around Rs one crore in the regional market.
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One vehicle used in the transportation of illegal goods has been impounded, police stated.
All the alleged smugglers along with the seized items and impounded vehicles have been handed over to the concerned police station for legal proceedings and in-depth investigations.
The arrests and seized took place during the past 56 hours, the police added.
Meanwhile, concerning the arrests of smugglers involved in opium smuggling, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on a Twitter post said:
“These are the people who are destroying our generation. They are destroying our natural forests to plant poppy, and further igniting communal issues to carry out the drug smuggling business.”