Recruitment begins for Mizoram’s new territorial army unit targeting drug smuggling

Aizawl, Aug 11: The Mizoram government has initiated the recruitment process to set up a Mizo Territorial Army (MTA) battalion aimed at tackling drug trafficking and other law-and-order challenges, officials confirmed on Monday.

According to a senior official from the Mizoram Home Department, the first phase of recruitment will induct 70 male candidates. More batches will follow in the subsequent phases. The selected recruits will undergo nine months of intensive training at the Assam Regimental Centre in Shillong before being deployed across the state, with a particular focus on border areas.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has endorsed the state government’s proposal to establish the MTA battalion as part of efforts to combat drug smuggling, cross-border trafficking, and related crimes.

Earlier, during his visit to New Delhi, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma discussed the MTA formation and other key issues with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to the Home Minister for supporting his proposal to establish the MTA battalion, describing it as a crucial initiative to employ Mizo youths while contributing to national security,” the official said.

He said that for quite a long time, the state government has been requesting the Centre to help the state to raise the MTA to deal with the smuggling of drugs and other contrabands being illegally imported from Myanmar.

“The state government has manpower shortages to deal with the narcotics trafficking from across the border. The state government earlier submitted proposals to the Ministry of Home Affairs about the raising of the MTA,” he said.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has recently proposed setting up its zonal office in Mizoram. NCB Director General Anurag Garg recently met Mizoram Chief Minister and suggested setting up a full-fledged NCB zonal office in the state and emphasised the need for more staff and officials who are acquainted with the local language and the ground situation of the state.

Lalduhoma, a former IPS officer, during the meeting with Garg, had discussed ways and means to curb the drug trade and usage of narcotics by the youth.

The Chief Minister had told the NCB DG that he had already requested the MHA to constitute or to allow the state government to form the MTA to further strengthen vigilance along the state's unfenced borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh.

--IANS