SHILLONG, July 10 � In one of the biggest seizures of heroin in the city, a special team from the Anti-Narcotic branch of Meghalaya police today arrested an Assam Rifle jawan and his wife here with 101 grams of the banned drugs. Earlier in January the police had seized 66 grams of heroin from drug peddlers in the city.
The husband-wife duo, Nazir Khan (32), who is an Assam Rifles personnel posted in Nagini, Jorhat in Assam and Mamtaz Begum (28) were arrested with 101 grams of heroin in their possession from Madanriting in the outskirts of the city here.
The police said Nazir and his wife were standing on the roadside probably trying to hand the drugs to a client, but was nabbed after the cops were tipped off.
Nazir had in his possession a dagger and his wife had concealed the drug in two small boxes stashed inside a soft drink can. After their arrest the couple was produced at a local court and the police have prayed for five days� police custody. They have been booked under section 21 (c) of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
It is estimated that the 101 gram of heroin would cost about Rs 10 lakh locally and around Rs 15 lakh in the international market. Incidentally, Nazir and his wife are from Boriangdi in Manipur�s Bishnupur District. His wife interestingly had rented a room in Shillong.
Superintendent of Police (City) Vivek Syiem said, �We are ascertaining if there is a larger gang involved. The investigation has only begun and we would get to the bottom of it soon.�
Meanwhile, a team from the Assam Rifles also interrogated the arrested jawan.