From our Special Correspondent

SILCHAR, Aug 17: The expanding network of smuggling business in narcotics or contraband substances from Myanmar to Barak valley all the way through Mizoram has caused concern to the administrative, security and civil circles.

Its serious ramification could be felt with reports of youth taking to drugs, heroin and other such substances from certain pockets of the valley triggering sense of apprehension in the society. It is being felt that the routes of the smugglers to this valley from Manipur and Mizoram should be brought under strict monitoring to prevent smuggling and block the smugglers.

The frequency in apprehending smugglers can well be understood from the operations by BSF and police. A joint operation was conducted by the troops of BSF based at Masimpur near here and the 136 Battalion BSF in coordination with Assam police, Patharkandi, in the general area of BSF border outpost of  Sonatala under police station of  Patharkandi in the district of Karimganj.

It was around 2 am of  August 15, the joint team recovered around 300 gms of narcotics substance, suspected to be heroin. The contraband was concealed in an abandoned house in the village of Khasia Punjee within the jurisdiction of Patharkandi police station.

According to BSF source, the recovered consignment of narcotics beloged to a suspect who was identified as  Parimantri of the Khasia punji. The contraband substance was brought from Silchar for sale to the smugglers active in the bordering areas of Karimganj. Recently about 1 kg of heroin was seized in a joint operation by the BSF and Assam police in Silchar, which was smuggled from Myanmar by a person of the country who crossed over to Mizoram and from there with the help of a Mizo guide.

The Myanamarese national on interrogation confessed that the narcotics was brought here for sale.

In fact, a gang of smugglers in contraband goods was active in the bordering areas of Cachar and Karimganj. The narcotics or heroin and other such intoxicating substances have potential markets in Bangladesh, Northeast and other parts of the country.

It is a  lucrative business which attracts smugglers from different states. Myanmar-Mizoram as well as Myanmar-Manipur routes have emerged as an infamous corridor for smuggling in narcotics from the Golden Triangle of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

In another case, from a Myanmarese national, around 30 gm of narcotics was recovered on August 7 in this town.

It was followed by the arrest of two more Myanmarese nationals and about 64 gm heoin was seized from their possession in Aizawl. They were identified as Lalbiatsan and  Lalbiakchunga, both hailing from the village of Tahan in the Chin state of Myanmar. They were caught near Greenwood Hospital under Bawngkawn police station of Aizawl.

During interrogation, both disclosed that they crossed the border from Myanmar through Champhai with the narcotics substance.  They stayed in Aizawl in search for prospective buyer. It was further revealed that they had link with the apprehended Myanmarese narcotics smuggler who was caught here on August 7  identified as Lungakaselav.

The frequency with which Myanmarese narcotics smugglers are falling in the net of BSF and Assam police raises certain pertinent questions about the vigilance and surveillance of the security forces deployed along Indo-Myanmar border as well as the easy passage available to them through Mizoram to have access to this valley.