Mizoram police book 6 for supplying drugs to COVID-19 quarantine centres

According to a senior official of Mizoram Home Department, a 22-year-old youth, currently under home quarantine in Aizawl reportedly gave his ATM card to his friends who after withdrawing cash from an ATM bought locally made liquor and secretly gave them to the quarantined person.

Mizoram Police subsequently identified the three youths involved in the incident and their swab samples were tested negative. "Criminal cases under the IPC (Indian Penal Code) and Mizoram (Containment and Prevention of Covid-19) Ordinance, 2020 have been registered against the four accused persons for their unlawful and negligent acts which can spread infection of the dreaded virus endangering the safety of others. The accused persons are currently under quarantine facilities. Arrest could not be made yet. Mizoram Police is pursuing the matter and stern legal actions would be taken against them," the official said.

He said that in another incident, a person tried to secretly supply drugs from outside to another person currently quarantined in Khatla East community quarantine centre. Mizoram Police identified a 33-year-old man, who on interrogation confessed to his crime.

Swab samples collected from the accused had been tested using RT-PCR and results came out negative. "However, he had since been put under quarantine facility and as such though arrest could not be made yet stern action would also be taken against him and his friend in the Khatla East Community Quarantine Centre," the official added.

Mizoram earlier this week become the fifth northeastern state after Assam, Tripura, Manipur and Nagaland with total positive cases in three digits. Of the 104 COVID-19 cases, 103 are active cases and one patient recovered from the disease and was discharged from hospital.

Out of the eight northeastern states, only Mizoram was a green state until June 1 as the mountainous border state became Covid-free after its lone patient recovered from the disease and was discharged from the Zoram Medical College and Hospital on May 9. (IANS)

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