Mizoram to Begin Intensive Anti-Narcotics Drive Along Myanmar Border from Sept 1

Aizawl: Mizoram will launch a state-wide anti-narcotics operation from September 1, focusing on smuggling routes along the porous Myanmar border as well as on curbing drug abuse in urban areas.

The campaign, to continue until December 31, will be led by the state police under Inspector General of Police (IGP) H. Ramthlengliana, in coordination with the Young Mizo Association (YMA), one of the state’s most influential civil society bodies.

A senior police official said that a week-long survey in Champhai district which accounts for the majority of drug trafficking cases in the state has helped authorities identify key entry points and trafficking corridors.

“Champhai remains the prime channel for drug smugglers. Of the 370 narcotics-related cases registered statewide last year, 170 were from Champhai alone. Even this year, more than half of the 150 cases recorded till mid-August were from the district,” the IGP said during a consultation with community leaders on Friday.

Ramthlengliana admitted that only about 10 per cent of narcotics entering Mizoram are intercepted, underlining the scale of the crisis. He urged local leaders and residents to extend full support to enforcement agencies, adding that the absence of border outposts by the Assam Rifles along the actual frontier has made preventive measures more difficult.

As part of the operation, additional police personnel will be deployed in vulnerable areas along the border, working with YMA units and local volunteers. The drive will also address street-level drug use in towns and cities.

Home Minister K. Sapdanga, expressing concern over the deteriorating situation, said drug abuse has rendered public spaces unsafe, particularly after dark. He assured that comprehensive measures have been prepared to restore security and curb trafficking.Enforcement agencies, including the police, excise and narcotics department, and other allied bodies, will coordinate with civil society organisations in the operation. “Our objective is to ensure that the lives and property of the common people are no longer endangered by the menace of drugs,” the minister said.