Law enforcement in Mizoram to intensify action against smuggling from Myanmar

Central and state law enforcement agencies in Mizoram have decided to work in a close coordination to deal with the smuggling of various drugs, explosive materials, exotic animals and other contrabands from neighbouring Myanmar, officials said here on Thursday.

According to the officials, Mizoram's 510 km unfenced international border with Myanmar, especially the bordering Champhai district, is a major hotspot of smuggling.

An Assam Rifles official said that senior officials of Mizoram Police, Assam Rifles, Customs and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) held a day-long meeting on Wednesday and finalised some joint strategies to curb the clandestine trade of drugs and other contrabands from across the border.

The meeting was chaired by Mizoram's Director General of Police (DGP) Devesh Chandra Srivastva, Assam Rifles Deputy Inspector General Brigadier Girish Upadhya and Deputy Inspector General of Mizoram police (training) L.R. Dingliana Sailo.

The official said that the main purpose of the meeting was to foster greater synergy, enhanced cooperation and unhindered coordination between Mizoram Police, Assam Rifles, Customs and DRI for the greater benefit of the society.

DGP Srivastva emphasised that the close coordination of all sister agencies and the local population are utmost important to enhance and strengthen the overall law enforcement system for the greater benefit of society.

BrigadierUpadhya also stressed on the recent increasing trend of smuggling of narcotics and war-like stores which adversely affects the locals and may even have other far reaching effects in future.

He requested all agencies to work with enhanced cooperation and assist Assam Rifles in its war against all illegal activities, for which all required support and assistance would be provided.

Heroin and highly addictive methamphetamine tablets, also commonly known as 'Yaba', foreign origin cigarettes, poppy seeds, opium, marijuana, morphine, bottles of cough syrup are often seized in Mizoram, Manipur, Assam and other northeastern states which are smuggled from Myanmar.

Besides illicit drugs, a variety of other contrabands like gold, as well as arms and ammunition, huge numbers of exotic animals, areca nuts are often smuggled from Myanmar to the northeastern states, especially Mizoram and Manipur.