Rs 39 Crore Drugs Seized From Ambulance In Assam

Drugs worth Rs 39 crore were seized from an ambulance in Guwahati and another vehicle in Karimganj district in the early hours of Wednesday and three persons were arrested in connection with it, police said.

Acting on a tip-off an Assam police team intercepted the Manipur-registered ambulance at the parking lot of an apartment in Hengerabari area here, Joint Commissioner of Police Partha Sarathi Mahanta said.

"In the thorough search of the vehicle, we found 50,000 yaba tablets and 200 grams of heroin. The value of the drugs would be around Rs 14.1 crore," he said.

Mr Mahanta said this was the first time in Assam that drugs were being trafficked in an ambulance, which in this case managed to cross several police checkpoints after entering the state from Manipur.

A person hailing from Meghalaya was arrested for his alleged role in smuggling the narcotics, he said.

"The consignment, which was supposed to be sent to Bangladesh via Meghalaya, belonged to an inter-state drug cartel. We have intensified our operations to nab the other persons involved in the network," he added.

The second drug haul took place in Karimganj in Assam's Barak valley when police intercepted a vehicle coming from Mizoram.

"@karimganjpolice intercepted a vehicle coming from a neighbouring state at Kontakcherra and seized 2.01 kg heroin packed in 131 soap cases and 50,000 yaba tablets. Also apprehended two accused in the operation," Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.

When contacted, Karimganj superintendent of police Padmanabh Baruah told PTI that the vehicle entered the district from Mizoram and was on its way to Tripura.

Tripura is about 25o km from Karimganj.

"Most of the drugs that go to Tripura finally end up reaching Bangladesh. The total worth of the drugs would be around Rs 25 crore as per market standards," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)