Cachar Police confiscates 20 sacks of illegally smuggled “Burmese Supari” in a bus travelling from Mizoram; 1 detained

A bus travelling from Mizoram’s Kolashib district to Cachar in Assam was stopped for routine checking at Lailapur Police Outpost. A team led by the additional SP of Cachar, Partha Pratim Saikia conducted the checking and found as many as 20 sacks of Burmese Supari loaded in the bus. After further investigation, the Assam Police personnel also recovered 24 grams of suspected heroin from the bus.

Speaking with the Press, Saikia informed that the Cachar Police was anticipating such activities and that is why they are keeping watertight measures. “We have detained F Lalrotluanga – the driver of the bus. Initially, he didn’t reveal about the narcotics, but after we investigated the matter further we recovered the narcotics,” said the additional SP.

According to him, due to the recent crackdown on drugs and substance abuse, the smugglers operating in the Assam – Mizoram route are highly frustrated. “We were expecting such consignments and that is why subtle operations were on. We will continue to conduct these operations to intercept illicit smuggling of betel nuts or narcotics through the Assam – Mizoram gateway,” added Saikia.

The 34-year-old driver is a resident of Bilkawthir in the Kolashib district. He said he was paid Rs 4,500 to deliver the betel nuts to one ‘Mannan’ living in Kabuganj. He said he had no clue about the suspected heroin found in his bus.

He was driving a star bus bearing registration no MZ 05A 0498. He admitted that he has loaded the betel nuts himself from Bilkawthir. Each sack consisting of 40 kilograms, the Police confiscated imported Burmese betel nuts worth Rs 3,20,000 at a market value of Rs 400 per kilogram.