In a major drug bust, the Narcotics Control Bureau seized over ₹2.6 crore worth of ganja in Assam, arresting two peddlers and highlighting increased efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region ahead of upcoming elections.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Monday said it has seized over 500 kg of ganja worth ₹2.6 crore and arrested two peddlers from Karbi Anglong district of Assam.
Acting on a tip-off, the NCB's Guwahati Zonal Unit, in a joint operation with the CRPF, tracked an illicit drug consignment being ferried from Manipur to West Bengal in a truck on Sunday.
"Upon thorough search of the vehicle, a total of 524.9 kg of ganja, estimated to be worth approximately ₹2.6 crore, was recovered. The contraband had been concealed in a specially fabricated cavity inside the truck in an attempt to evade detection," the NCB said in a statement.
The security team also apprehended two persons in connection with the seizure.
"Preliminary investigation revealed that the source of the contraband was forest areas of Senapati district in Manipur, while the destination was Birbhum district in West Bengal," it said.
Further investigation in the case is underway to identify and apprehend other members of the drug trafficking network, it added.
The anti-narcotics agency said this is the second major seizure made by the NCB Guwahati Zonal Unit within a month. Earlier on February 7, it had seized 11.7 kg of methamphetamine near Silchar in Assam, valued at around ₹9.5 crore.
"In view of the forthcoming assembly elections in Assam and West Bengal, the NCB Guwahati Zonal Unit has intensified its operations and surveillance against drug trafficking networks operating in the region," the statement said.
The NCB North Eastern Region has seized drugs worth ₹105 crore in the last two months, and nabbed 40 traffickers, it said.