GUWAHATI, Nov 15 - Large recovery of narcotics in Assam in recent times is an indication of prevalence of a narco-terror angle in this part of the world, admitted Director General of Assam Police BJ Mahanta.
In an interview with The Assam Tribune, the DGP gave a detailed account of the steps taken by the Assam Police to deal with the menace. Following are the excerpts of the interview.
Assam Tribune: In recent times, Assam Police launched a number of successful anti-drug operations. Can you give a little detail about the same?
BJ Mahanta: In August and October this year nearly three lakh YABA tablets were seized by police in Karbi Anglong district. Another haul of 20 kg WY tablets was made in Guwahati on August 20 from Md Shahrukh Khan and Md Thoiba of Thoubal district of Manipur. These are in addition to small quantity recoveries in Barak Valley districts as well as Nagaon, Golaghat and Guwahati. Similarly heroin/brown sugar recoveries between August and October this year are also fairly huge, notable among them being an 11-kg hail in Karbi Anglong.
All these recoveries worth crores of rupees in just three months expose the disturbing magnitude of the nefarious illegal trade in narcotics. This spurt in trading of methamphetamine along with heroin is indicative of a narco-terror angle prevalent in this part of the world now.
AT: What are the routes mostly used by drug traffickers? Is Myanmar still the source for such substances?
BJM: Myanmar is an integral component of the infamous Golden Triangle that also includes border regions of Laos and Thailand. The Golden Triangle is one of most notorious centres of global drug trade. Myanmar Army�s frequent attempts to destroy the drug trade have brought down the area of land being used for poppy cultivation but simultaneously, it has induced drug producers to lessen manufacture of opium-derived products and instead take to producing synthetic drugs like methamphetamine.
Assam is a preferred state for transportation of drugs because of its close proximity to the Golden Triangle. Together with Assam�s bordering areas, Guwahati, too, is fast turning out to be a major transit point of narcotics smuggling. This is testified by the growing number of seizures and arrests made in the city.
The conventional route of contraband drugs is from Myanmar to the Northeast, mainly through Manipur and Mizoram, before finding their way to various parts of the country through Guwahati. Drug traffickers use the routes such as Moreh-Imphal-Kohima-Dimapur-Karbi Anglong-Golaghat-Nagaon-Guwahati; Myanmar-Mizoram-Barak Valley-Meghalaya-Guwahati; Samrah (Myanmar)-Patkai Hills-Khonsa-Dibrugarh-Guwahati; Upper Myanmar-Old Stilwell Road-Jagun-Lekhapani-Ledo-Margherita-Dibrugarh-Guwahati; Bandardewa-Lakhimpur-Tezpur-Guwahati.
AT: What steps are you taking to improve coordination with the neighbouring states to deal with the menace?
BJM: Together with a sustained crackdown on drug traffickers, it is equally imperative for the Assam Police to take up the matter of cross-border drugs with their counterparts in northeastern and other states of India. A DG-level talk between nodal narcotics control agencies of Bangladesh and India is also held every year where representatives of Assam Police and northeastern states also participate. The talk mainly emphasizes on the need of sharing of information among various government agencies about drug mafia, their modus operandi, vulnerable areas, etc.
There is a joint coordination committee of northeastern states billed JCC(NE). Under this, nodal officers share information on a regular basis. Moreover, besides a mechanism of regular meetings with the NCB in place, the DGPs of northeastern states also meet to strengthen multilateral cooperation without which it would be next to impossible to put an end to cross-border movement of drugs.
