SHILLONG, Aug 27 � In one of the biggest seizures in the North East, Customs officials seized drugs worth over Rs 1 crore and also arrested two persons here today.
The two arrested persons � Ramding Sanga and Rinzuala � were smuggling the drug hidden inside their Tata Sumo vehicle. However, the Customs sleuths got wind of the illegal consignment and intercepted the vehicle (MZ 01-G 8253) on the Shillong-Guwahati National Highway 40, near Mawlai police station.
The Custom officials recovered over 50 kg of Methaqualone crystals, valued at over Rs 1 crore in the international market. Moreover, 9.48 lakh of Actichid and Reobro tablets valued at about Rs 7 lakh were also recovered. Besides the drugs, foreign goods, worth nearly Rs 1 lakh, was also recovered from the vehicle.
Customs officials said that the drugs were smuggled into the region from different parts of India and loaded in Guwahati and was heading towards Mizoram for its final destination in Myanmar.
�The drugs were smuggled from other States and were loaded in Guwahati meant to be smuggled out to Myanmar, from Zokhawthar under Mizoram�s Champhai district,� a Custom official, who didn�t wish to be identified, said.
He said that two other persons escaped from the vehicle and a massive manhunt was on to nab them. On the other hand, the Mizoram police has been alerted about today�s arrest and seizure.
SK Chakraborty, Commissioner of Customs, said, Methaqualone crystals are raw material for manufacturing Mandrax tablets, which is a synthetic drug. This particular drug was a prescription drug for sleep disorder in the sixties and seventies, but was banned worldwide due to its side-effects.
Actichid and Reobro tablets, Chakraborty said, contains pseudoephedrine � which is the raw material for producing Amphetamine tablets.
Amphetamine tablets are also called party drugs as these induce great energy when taken as pills, injected, inhaled or smoked. These kind of drugs are particularly attractive to teenagers world over.
Prolonged use of this drug causes cardiovascular problems and affects the nervous system with dizziness, depression, seizures, stroke and many other symptoms.
Meanwhile, the arrested persons have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and also charged under the Customs Act.
