Booming Business in Drugs and Tablets Across Barak Valley

Special Correspondent

Silchar: It is perhaps booming time for smugglers and anti-social elements to push in business in drugs, tablets, and syrups across Barak Valley. Not a single day passes without the reports trickling in of the arrest of smugglers and their henchmen with a huge quantity of contraband goods from different areas, particularly close to the interstate and the international border with Bangladesh. Some such focused points are Churabari on Tripura-Assam border, Gharmoora on Mizoram border, Bhaga-Dholai on Mizoram border and the most vulnerable being Jirighat in Lakhipur subdivision of Cachar on Manipur corridor.

Hmarkhawlien, the second largest tribal village in Assam, in Lakhipur subdivision, frequently attracts media attention. In the present case, two smugglers identified as Housn Singsit (32) of Phaital, Jribam, and Rabiqul Hussain Laskar (51) of Makhannagar, Jirighat, were taken into custody from Hmarkhawlien on Saturday in a joint raid conducted by Lakhipur police and 147 CRPF Bn. From their possession were recovered 15000 Yaba tablets, wrapped in 75 packets and valued at Rs 3 lakh.

A day earlier, another smuggler, Yaidur Rahman (39) of Kwakatei, Moirang, was also arrested from Hmarhawlien along with the huge number of YABA tablets kept in 25 packets, valued at Rs 2 lakh. All of them were charged under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and after necessary legal proceedings, they have been sent to jail. Shankar Bania, sub-inspector of Lakhipur police station, is investigating the cases of the three smugglers.

It needs no repetition to say that these drugs and tablets are being sold at different outlets, masquerading as ordinary pan shops or tea stalls. Their consumption is fast catching up with youths and students community. Civil society is extremely worried about the way drug consumption is taking an alarming shape. The contraband goods are smuggled out all the way from Myanmar to this valley through Moreh-Jribam highway. The well organized and well-coordinated smugglers use this conduit route to reach the drugs, tablets, and heroin to prospective selling points, often caught and often they manage to slip away from the watchful eyes of security agencies.

Also Read: Drug Addiction Among Students And Youths of Barak Valley Alarming