DRI Seizes 232 Kg Of Methamphetamine In Northeast Crackdown

(MENAFN- Live Mint) New Delhi: In a major crackdown on synthetic-drug trafficking in the northeast, the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) has seized 231.8 kg of suspected methamphetamine tablets from four trucks intercepted across Assam and Tripura, underscoring the scale of drug consignments being moved through the region.

According to a press statement issued on Wednesday by the ministry of finance, the operation was conducted on 15 September and resulted in the arrest of three people and the seizure of four trucks used to transport the contraband.

The seizure is among the largest reported methamphetamine busts by the DRI in the northeast, and comes amid continued synthetic-drug trafficking through the region, which shares international borders with Myanmar. In its statement, the DRI noted that the illicit street value of the latest consignment runs into several hundred crore rupees.

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“The operation was based on specific intelligence and involved surveillance followed by simultaneous interception of suspected vehicles at multiple locations in Assam and Tripura. The Assa Rifles assisted the DRI in the interceptions,” it said.

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The latest operation comes shortly after two DRI operations in August, near Silchar and Mizoram, in which the agency seized a combined 76 kg of methamphetamine tablets. The drugs in those cases were also concealed in vehicles. This means the DRI has reported seizures of at least 307.8 kg of methamphetamine tablets in the northeast in August and September, according to government releases.

Vulnerable region

Central agencies have identified the northeast as vulnerable to the trafficking of synthetic drugs. The home affairs ministry has previously identified the region's proximity to Myanmar as one of the factors contributing to this vulnerability. Myanmar borders four northeastern states - Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram - which provides multiple routes to smuggle narcotics into India.

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Methamphetamine, commonly known as meth, is regulated under India's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The legislation mandates stringent penalties for offences involving illegal substances, with punishment depending on the quantity involved, among other factors.

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