A fast-track court in Mizoram’s Kolasib district sentenced Seikholen Kongsai, a 45-year-old from Churachandpur, Manipur, to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment on Friday for trafficking 1.74kg of heroin. Judge R. Vanlalena also imposed a ₹1 lakh fine, with an additional six months in jail if unpaid, underscoring the severity of the crime.

Kongsai was arrested on August 21, 2023, in Thingdawl village near Kolasib town, alongside three others, while transporting the heroin in an unregistered car from Manipur. Police initially seized 1.64kg of heroin, with an additional 100 grams later recovered from the vehicle based on a co-accused’s tip. The drugs, smuggled from Myanmar, were intended for distribution in Kolasib, authorities confirmed.

Charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, Kongsai faced trial after forensic experts and a detailed investigation established the heroin as a “commercial quantity” under Section 21(C), warranting a stringent sentence. The court acquitted his three co-accused due to insufficient evidence, focusing the penalty on Kongsai.

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The ruling highlights Mizoram’s escalating efforts to curb drug trafficking, with the state reporting 1,117 NDPS Act cases and 1,517 arrests in 2024, alongside seizures of 54.78kg of heroin and 1,121kg of cannabis. As Northeast India battles its role as a transit hub for Myanmar-sourced narcotics, this conviction sends a strong message to traffickers.

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