Mizoram: DRI seizes Rs 16 cr worth meth, accused tries to flee custody

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has intercepted a major drug trafficking attempt near Aizawl, seizing 16 kg of methamphetamine tablets valued at Rs 16 crore in the international illicit drug market.

The seizure took place on June 3, when a vehicle was stopped on the Aizawl–Champhai road on the city’s outskirts. Officials discovered 16 brick-sized packages of pink/orange meth tablets concealed in specially modified chambers beneath the rear seat and inside the fuel tank. 

Two individuals - the driver and his accomplice, were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

Preliminary investigations revealed the drugs had been smuggled into India from Myanmar.

In a dramatic turn, one of the accused attacked DRI officers and escaped custody while being produced in court on the morning of June 4. However, in a swift and coordinated manhunt involving the DRI, local police, and community members, the fugitive was re-arrested from Hridaikawn in Tlangnuam, on Aizawl’s outskirts.

This marks the second major seizure of methamphetamine tablets in Mizoram in less than a week. On May 30, DRI had seized 9.72 kg of the drug and arrested one person in Seling.

Authorities reiterated that the NDPS Act imposes severe penalties, including up to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, for such offences. They also called for continued public cooperation to combat the growing menace of drug smuggling in the region.