Suspected heroin seized from hidden compartment of auto-rickshaw in Assam's Cachar; driver detained

Cachar Police recovered suspected heroin concealed inside a specially fabricated compartment of an auto-rickshaw during a vehicle checkpoint in Dholai on Monday, July 20, and detained the driver for questioning.
 

According to the police, the seizure was made at around 5.30 p.m. during a routine vehicle checkpoint conducted in front of Dholai Police Station. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, officers intercepted an auto-rickshaw, which was travelling from Bhaga Bazar towards Silchar.
 

The vehicle was being driven by Sebul Hussain Barbhuiya (27), a resident of Shamacharanpur Gram Panchayat.
 

Police said an initial search of the vehicle did not yield any contraband. However, based on the intelligence input, officers carried out a more thorough inspection and found a specially fabricated hidden compartment beneath the driver's seat. Four soap cases containing suspected heroin were recovered from the concealed chamber.
 

The seized narcotics are estimated to be worth several lakh rupees in the illicit market, police said.
 

The driver was detained and taken to Dholai Police Station. Police are investigating the source of the suspected heroin, its intended destination and whether the seizure is linked to a larger drug trafficking network.
 

Officials said further details would be made public as the investigation progresses.
 

The seizure comes amid intensified anti-narcotics operations across the Barak Valley, where police have made several drug recoveries in recent months. Despite repeated seizures and arrests, law enforcement agencies say traffickers continue to adopt increasingly sophisticated methods to transport narcotics, with the use of concealed compartments in vehicles posing a growing challenge for investigators.