Following the statement of Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren in the Assembly on Monday on drug peddling, police, Assam Rifles and other paramilitary forces have beefed up security measures along the Manipur-Myanmar border on Tuesday.
He said that peddlers were selling narcotic pills even to school children. Sometime back he had announced that a fast track court would be set up to deal exclusively with the offenders.
On an average, police, Assam Rifles and anti-narcotics cells of the Central government have been seizing drugs and other contraband items thrice a week. An Army officer in Imphal and relatives of some politicians were also allegedly caught in the anti-drug dragnet.
Police say that smugglers of all hues are crossing the international border into India. Last week, police arrested three men with narcotic drugs worth over ₹ 400 crore, the biggest haul in the Northeast region. Officials said that the construction of the 10-km boundary wall near the border town of Moreh was suspended following an objection by Myanmar. Besides, smugglers were using the unmanned 364 km border with Manipur. There is a common boundary with Myanmar in Mizoram and Nagaland.
Last week, several organisations observed a 48-hour general strike at Moreh and along the national highway, demanding, among others, transfer of one ranking officer of 43 Assam Rifles for allegedly harassing traders. The personnel had sealed the international border and only those having proper identity cards are allowed to cross the international gates I and II.
