The Assam Rifles troopers who are well trained in counter insurgency operations were deployed along the border since a number of extremist camps are reportedly in the no man’s land.
Every now and then there have been reports of seizing contraband goods and drugs. On Monday, four persons from Manipur were arrested in a railway compartment at Dimapur in Nagaland with gold biscuits worth a few crores of rupees. These were meant to be taken to Delhi. There have been reports of seizing opium, cocaine and heroin. Long time back, the authorities had stopped confiscating foreign goods including the fake ones. Besides, a huge cache of weapons is smuggled out along the mountain bridle path to supply to numerous extremist outfits in the north-eastern region.
From the Indian side various items like animal parts for manufacturing expensive medicines and aphrodisiacs, prescription drugs including drug substitutes which are banned in Manipur are smuggled out. By adding some chemicals, these prescription drugs are used in manufacturing very powerful and addictive drugs and then smuggled to Manipur for sale in the North Eastern region. One Indian army colonel was one of the drug kingpins who was arrested along with such prescription drugs valued at Rs 30 crore in the street kiosks.
Tarpaulin shrouded trucks are going towards Moreh, the border town everyday transporting these items from Imphal. Foreign goods and drugs are smuggled to Imphal by the small time traders on payment of fat fees. Since over 1000 vehicles ply along the 109 km long highway from Imphal to Moreh everyday, it is not possible to rummage through the luggages and the hidden niches in the vehicles. Sources said that a courier used to get Rs 5,000 for taking one kg of drug from Imphal to Guwahati which was transmogrified into the main drug centre of drug trafficking in the North Eastern region. However, business had become so brisk in the past few years that sources say that a courier now gets Rs 1,00,000.
What is worrying the state government is the free movement of insurgents and recruits by masquerading as common tourists and traders. Anyone could cross the international gate for a shopping binge at the international market at Namphalong adjacent to the gate.
Besides, by paying an immigration fee of Rs 10 one could travel up to Tamu, about 30 km deep inside for buying various items. Many of the "traders" fail to return to the international gate within the stipulated hours and there is no mechanism to monitor the movements of the people and smoke out the missing persons.
To check the drug trafficking and movement of the insurgents India had started constructing a border fence in consultation with Myanmar.
However, there had been complaints galore on the reported usurping of Manipur's land. As there were protests from the people the construction works were suspended. It is anybody's guess when the construction works will be resumed.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Saturday installed the crime and criminal tracking network and system at the Imphal police station. It is funded by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The target is to link all the 101 police stations and 115 higher offices in the state by this network. However, for the time being just 10 police stations and 13 higher offices in Imphal East and Imphal West districts will be linked.
The Chief Minister said that it will go a long way in booking the criminals and checking crime in this border state. It is officially conceded that the criminals of all hues had gone far ahead and the crime investigation is lagging behind.
Source: The Hindu
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