Imphal: Manipur Police, in a joint operation with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), arrested a suspected drug kingpin and four other individuals, seizing narcotics valued at around Rs 2 crore during a 36-hour statewide crackdown, officials said on Thursday.
Acting on multiple intelligence inputs, the joint team arrested Nengjatuan, also known as Tuanpi, from Hotel Venus in Churachandpur. Police said she is a key drug supplier wanted in several cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act by the NCB, DRI and Manipur Police.
Based on information obtained during her interrogation, the joint team later arrested Tinnei Thadou (52), a resident of Lonpi Khunou in Sugnu, from the Songja Khopi area of Churachandpur. During the operation, officials recovered around 1.6 kg of suspected brown sugar from his possession.
In another anti-narcotics operation carried out in and around Mantripukhri Bazar, security forces seized 3.66 kg of suspected opium and arrested three people. The accused were identified as Anil Das (75), originally from Belghati and currently residing in Mantripukhri, Roshan Basnet (48) of Kanglatongbi Hathikhuwa, and Goma Karki (33), also from Kanglatongbi Hathikhuwa.
Meanwhile, during routine patrolling between Parbung and Lungthulien villages in Pherzawl district, police recovered an abandoned bag containing 28 soap cases filled with approximately 328 grams of suspected brown sugar.
According to police, the suspected carrier fled into the adjoining forest under the cover of darkness after noticing the patrolling team, leaving the contraband behind.