4 smugglers arrested with 40,000 Yaba tablets in Silchar, Manipur connection established

In a significant joint operation conducted by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Silchar Sadar Police yesterday evening, a staggering haul of 40,000 Yaba tablets were confiscated from two rooms of JMD lodge located at Nazirpatty, Silchar. The tablets, valued at over four crore rupees in the market, were found to be in the possession of four individuals from Manipur, all belonging to the Kuki tribe.

The operation, initiated on the basis of intelligence received by the CRPF, saw seamless collaboration with the local police. The arrested individuals, including two women, were staying in rooms numbered 8 and 11 at the lodge.

The four individuals taken into custody have been identified as 1) Sofia Hatnaitham, hailing from Churchandpur
2) Chinneichong Haokip, a resident of Saikul
3) Lunginmang Haokip, from Kangpokpi
4) Liansanga Lunkim, from Churchandpur

Authorities suspect that the seized Yaba tablets were being smuggled from Manipur to Silchar via Mizoram for illicit distribution. Currently, the Police is engaged in an extensive interrogation of the apprehended suspects to unravel the full scope of their operations.

Notably, this incident follows the recent arrest of a trio by Cachar Police on last Friday who were linked to a series of robberies across Cachar and other regions in the Barak Valley. The arrested suspects, Dimngel Lalboi Michael, Paojalen Dimngel and Thangboi Dimngel, all hailing from Saijong village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, were taken into custody based on credible information.

During the operation, law enforcement officers recovered a cache of weapons from the suspects, including a 9mm pistol with 15 rounds of ammunition and a .22 pistol with 50 rounds of ammunition. Subsequent investigations revealed that the arrested individuals had been residing in the Kolasib Relief Camp in Mizoram, a shelter established in response to the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur. From there, they would venture into various areas of Barak Valley to commit robberies before returning to the camp.