SHILLONG, Sept 27 - Customs sleuths here confiscated a huge quantity of Methamphetamine tablets worth Rs 19.70 crore and arrested an international drug peddler and his accomplice from Killing village at Khanapara in Ri-Bhoi district.
Customs Deputy Commissioner (Preventive), Issac Kharkongor said here today that 19.7 kg of Methamphetamine or Yaba tablets, meant to be smuggled to Bangladesh, were confiscated.
�We received inputs that an international peddler was receiving a huge consignment of drugs and trying to smuggle it from Myanmar to India and finally to Bangladesh. On his way from Manipur, we shadowed him,� Khargonkor said.
The peddler identified as L Khongsait, a resident of Moreh in Manipur, landed at the Guwahati Airport yesterday and stayed at a rented house at Killing village.
Information was received that a second person was bringing the consignment from Dimapur and when the person identified as Sailesh Singh reached Byrnihat, a second team followed him.
On searching the vehicle, 1.97 lakh Yaba tablets were found hidden, neatly packed in packets, Kharkongor said. Both the smugglers have been arrested and produced before the local court at Ri-Bhoi and remanded to judicial custody today.
�This illegal consignment was to be delivered to Bangladesh through West Garo Hills district. We are on the lookout of other people involved in it,� the Customs Deputy Commissioner said.
Stating that the cartel is �huge and well organised�, Khargonkor said this cartel does not take money in cash and routes the illegal fund through third countries to avoid detection.
�Shillong is being used as a transit point and a safe haven by the drug peddlers for smuggling to India and abroad. Most of these drugs originate from Myanmar,� Khargonkor said, adding that various agencies like the Assam Rifles, Customs and other agencies in Manipur are working on a war footing to stop this illegal trade.
