Guwahati: In yet another crackdown on drug smuggling, the Assam police arrested three persons hailing from Manipur for allegedly trying to smuggle in narcotics, an official said on Monday.
The market value of the seized drugs is estimated at around Rs 21 crore, the police said.
This is the second case in the last couple of weeks wherein a consignment of narcotics was seized by the Assam Police which was brought from Manipur.
A senior police officer said: "The car carrying narcotic substances has origin in Manipur and traveled via Mizoram, the Barak Valley region of Assam, and Meghalaya before arriving in Guwahati and continuing on to West Bengal."
Three suspected drug dealers were arrested by police are residents of Thoubal district of Manipur.
Police claimed that the drugs were concealed in a vehicle's hidden chambers.
At least 198 soap boxes were recovered from the vehicle which contained narcotic substances.
The police claimed that the market value of the seized drugs must be around Rs 21 crore.
The seizure happened in Jorabat area near Guwahati at the Assam-Meghalaya border on late Sunday night.
Earlier, on September 1, the Assam Police seized narcotics worth Rs 7 crore in Cachar district and arrested one woman on charges of drug peddling.
Superintendent of Police in Cachar district, Numal Mahatta, said that the consignment of drugs was transported from Churachandpur district of Manipur.
"Based on secret information, a police team conducted a special operation against the transportation of narcotic substances at Labok village, in the district. While police raided in the house of a 38-year-old woman, Meena Kumari Sarma, drugs hidden in 100 soap boxes were recovered," the police officer said.
A total of 1.30 kg of narcotic substances suspected to be heroin were seized by the police. Meena Kumari Sarma was also arrested.
—IANS