From our Special Correspondent

IMPHAL, July 21: The sleuths of the Special Intelligence Unit yesterday confiscated a consignment of pseudo-ephedrine, worth several millions of rupees at the local market.

The consignment had been sent by Air India flight from Delhi to Imphal. This is the latest instance of drug trafficking. There is a growing suspicion that many higher-ups are behind this drug trafficking.

The confiscated drug is an ingredient for manufacturing heroin. Bulk of the ingredients are  smuggled out to Myanmar. Besides, there had been reports that some drug lords have been manufacturing heroin in some parts of Manipur. Although some persons had been arrested from these mobile drug manufacturing units, the matter was hushed up. No big shot has been arrested and reports of the investigations never saw the light of the day. This is indicative of the fact that powerful elements are involved.

The latest seizure was booked in the Air India flight Number 889. The consignment number was 04303946. The tablets were stuffed into four gunny sacks. It is for the Air India officials and the security personnel at the Delhi airport to explain why and how this drug banned by the Government of India had been allowed inside the flight in this manner. These were sent by M/s Pawan Logistics, New Delhi, which turned out to be a fictitious address and firm.

The consignee was Ramesh Choudhury, Shop No 63, Babupra, adjacent to the police headquarters and all other important government offices. The consignee was also found to be fictitious.

On seeing the presence of sub-inspector Kangjam Ranjit and his staff, nobody had claimed the gunny bags. The sacks were thus brought back to the office by the SIU team. The sacks contained several tablets of the ingredient.

It is feared in many circles that as in case of all other seizures in the past, this sensational seizure will also be merely a statistics and nobody will be punished. The banned drugs from India are smuggled to Burma. Highly intoxicating drugs are manufactured using these drugs, and then smuggled out to India at a huge profit margin.