Jiribam: Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with Boro Bekra Police, apprehended six suspected drug smugglers following a dramatic midnight interception on the Barak River in Jiribam and seized narcotics worth an estimated ₹27.288 crore. The operation was carried out in the Tupidhar area after security personnel detected a suspicious country-made boat moving silently across the river under the cover of darkness. Acting on the suspicious movement, the Assam Rifles team moved to intercept the vessel. When the boat was challenged and ordered to stop, the occupants allegedly attempted to evade capture. The suspects abandoned the boat and jumped into the river, apparently attempting to escape towards the dense jungle along the riverbank.
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Despite poor visibility and difficult terrain, the security personnel launched a coordinated pursuit and managed to apprehend all six suspects, officials said. A subsequent search of the boat led to the recovery of 90,000 Yaba tablets weighing 9.414 kg, with an estimated value of around ₹27 crore. The joint team also seized 48 grams of heroin, packed in four soap cases and valued at approximately ₹28.80 lakh. The total value of the narcotics seized during the operation was estimated at ₹27.288 crore. Besides the drugs, security personnel recovered six mobile phones, four side bags and the country-made boat allegedly used to transport the contraband across the Barak River.
The apprehended individuals, along with the seized narcotics and other materials, were handed over to Boro Bekra Police for further investigation and legal action under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The interception is being viewed as a significant blow to an organised narcotics trafficking network allegedly operating along the Mizoram-Assam route. The operation also highlighted the role of coordinated riverine surveillance in preventing the movement of illegal drugs across the region.
