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Assam's biggest drug haul: Yaba tablets worth Rs 327 crore seized in Hailakandi
Assam Rifles and the DRI seized 109.2 kg of Yaba tablets in Hailakandi and arrested one person. The Rs 327 crore recovery marks Assam's biggest drug haul and sharpens focus on border trafficking routes.
Narcotics worth Rs 327 crore were seized and one person was arrested in Assam's biggest-ever drug haul in Hailakandi district, officials said on Wednesday.
Officials said 109.2 kg of Yaba tablets were recovered during a joint operation by the Assam Rifles and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The seizure was made in the Ramnathpur area, which borders Mizoram, during an operation launched on Tuesday night based on specific intelligence inputs.
The operation led to the seizure of 546 packets of Yaba tablets valued at Rs 327 crore, along with two trucks, a mobile phone, an Aadhaar card and a driving licence. “This is one of the largest recoveries in the region and a major breakthrough against organised inter-state narcotics trafficking,” an official release said.
The arrested person, the seized contraband, the vehicles and the other recovered items have been handed over to the DRI in Silchar for detailed investigation and further legal action. “The successful operation demonstrates the strong synergy, real-time intelligence sharing and coordinated action between Assam Rifles and DRI in combating organised narcotics trafficking and safeguarding communities from the illegal drug trade,” the release added.
This was the second major consignment of Yaba tablets seized in the Barak Valley recently. On August 27, security personnel seized Yaba tablets valued at Rs 168 crore in the Lakhipur area of Cachar district, bordering Manipur. In that case, 5.60 lakh Yaba tablets weighing around 60 kg were seized and one person was arrested.
Officials said the borders of Mizoram and Manipur with Myanmar are used as transit routes by traffickers, who bring narcotics through Assam before moving them to the rest of the country. Yaba, which means “crazy medicine” in Thai, contains methamphetamine and caffeine and is illegal in India. The Hailakandi seizure, which officials described as Assam's biggest drug haul, followed the earlier Cachar recovery as agencies continued action against trafficking through the state.
