In one of the largest narcotics recoveries by Meghalaya Police so far, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) seized drugs worth approximately ₹51.13 crore during a naka checking operation at Ratacherra on Friday. According to a press release issued by the office of the Director General of Police, the operation was conducted by a team of ANTF officers and personnel on March 6. During the coordinated naka checking, a Tata Sumo bearing registration number MZ01 M 8625 was intercepted and searched. The vehicle was carrying two passengers along with the driver.
During the inspection, police recovered 19 plastic soap cases containing suspected heroin from the possession of one of the female passengers. The seized heroin weighed 203.7 grams. Further search of the vehicle led to the recovery of a blue-coloured trolley bag belonging to the other passenger. The bag was found to contain suspected crystal meth (methamphetamine) weighing 10.145 kg.
The operation was led by Additional Superintendent of Police (ANTF) Saurav Kumar Saini. The arrested persons have been identified as Rebeca Kipgen (42), a resident of Moreh near the Indo-Myanmar border, and Lal Thawnthang (34), who hails from Mizoram.
Preliminary analysis suggests that the individuals apprehended may be part of a larger interstate and cross-border drug trafficking syndicate. Police stated that the total estimated value of the seized contraband in the illegal market is ₹51,13,24,000, making it the highest-value recovery under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act by Meghalaya Police to date. A case has been registered at the ANTF Police Station, and investigation is currently under way to establish both the forward and backward linkages connected to the trafficking network.