South Salmara (Assam), 16 February (HS): In a major crackdown on cross-border drug trafficking, a joint team of the Border Security Force (BSF) and Assam Police seized a large consignment of banned Yaba tablets worth approximately ₹55 lakh from the Indo-Bangladesh border area in South Salmara-Mankachar district, police informed. The both alleged drug peddlers were arrested during the operation.

Police sources said on Monday that acting on specific intelligence inputs regarding the movement of narcotics smugglers, a joint operation was launched near the international border. Personnel of the 183rd Battalion of BSF, under the leadership of Inspector JS Khobung (Officer-in-Charge) and Sub-Inspector Simanta Roy, carried out the raid in coordination with a team from Mankachar Police Station.

The team laid an ambush at Beparipara under Mankachar Police Station near the international border and apprehended two persons identified as Abu Sama (37), a resident of Jhagrarchar, and Ekramul Haque (43) of Sonarpura.

Upon searching the suspects, security personnel recovered 11,000 Yaba (methamphetamine) tablets packed in 55 packets. A Bajaj Discover motorcycle (ML-08C-2891), allegedly used for transporting the narcotics, was also seized along with two mobile phones suspected to have been used in facilitating the smuggling attempt.

During preliminary interrogation, the accused reportedly admitted that they had planned to throw the drug packets across the border fence to their associates on the Bangladesh side. The seized tablets were tested on the spot using a drug detection kit, which confirmed the presence of methamphetamine.

Officials estimated the market value of the seized contraband at around Rs 55 lakh in the black market. Mankachar Police have registered an FIR in connection with the case, and further investigation is underway.----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash