Meghalaya Police Seize Rs 4.8 Crore Heroin, Arrest Four in Major Drug Bust
Manipur Women Nabbed in Interstate Smuggling Crackdown
Meghalaya’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and district police struck a major blow against interstate drug trafficking on Sunday, seizing heroin worth Rs 4.8 crore and arresting four suspects, including three women from Manipur, in East Jaintia Hills district. The operations, conducted in Umkiang and Byndihati village, underscore the region’s growing role as a drug transit hub, with Manipur emerging as a key source.
In the first operation, acting on a tip-off, the ANTF intercepted a car at Umkiang patrolling post on the Guwahati-Shillong highway. A search revealed three travel bags containing 80 soap boxes packed with 961.33 grams of heroin, valued at Rs 4.4 crore in the illicit market. The three women, identified as Kimnei (33), Dimkhothing (47), and Ngaiting (40), all residents of Khongjom, Manipur, were arrested. They were traveling from Churachandpur to Shillong when apprehended. A case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Lumshnong police station, with investigations ongoing to uncover links to a broader drug syndicate.
In a simultaneous operation, police stopped a Manipur-bound bus at Byndihati village under Khliehriat police station, recovering 91.86 grams of heroin in nine soap boxes, worth Rs 40 lakh, from a Shillong resident. East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar confirmed the seizures, noting the use of soap boxes as a common concealment tactic. “We are probing the network’s backward and forward linkages,” Kumar told The Tribune India, appealing for public tips with assured confidentiality and rewards.
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Meghalaya has seen a surge in drug seizures, with Director General of Police L.R. Bishnoi reporting over Rs 18 crore in narcotics, including 3.62 kg of heroin, seized this year alone. Recent operations include a Rs 14 crore heroin bust in Ri-Bhoi on November 18, 2024, and a Rs 6 crore seizure in East Jaintia Hills on December 31, 2024, as per India Today NE. The state’s proximity to the Golden Triangle and porous borders with Manipur, a known drug corridor, has fueled trafficking, with East Jaintia Hills emerging as a hotspot.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma praised the police efforts on X, stating, “East Jaintia Hills Police’s relentless work against drug trafficking is commendable. This bust disrupts a major supply chain.” However, posts on X also highlight local concerns, with users like @neweastindia noting the need for stricter border checks to curb Manipur’s role in the drug trade. The arrests add to 134 traffickers nabbed in Meghalaya this year, with investigations now focusing on dismantling the syndicate’s operations across the Northeast.
