Khliehriat, January 1 : In a swift and decisive action on New Year’s Day, a joint team of District Police and the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of East Jaintia Hills District seized a significant amount of heroin and apprehended the driver in Khliehriat.
Acting on credible information received at around 4:00 AM on January 1, 2024, about a vehicle carrying illegal drugs, the team led by B. Bhattacherjee, MPS, DSP (Crime), set up a Naka near Khliehriat Police Station on National Highway-06.
Around 4:30 AM, the team intercepted a Tourist Vehicle (Maruti Suzuki Ciaz) bearing registration number ML-05-Q-1702 driven by Afjal Hussain Barbhuiya, a 32-year-old resident of Silchar, Assam.
Following due procedures under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and in the presence of independent witnesses, the vehicle was thoroughly searched. The search yielded 66 soap boxes of various colors, wrapped in black polythene, cleverly hidden in the dashboard toolbox and front bumper.
Preliminary tests conducted on the recovered substance confirmed it to be heroin, with a total weight of 643.81 grams. All the contraband items were seized and sealed as per NDPS Act protocol.
A case has been registered at Khliehriat Police Station under Section 21(c)/29 of the NDPS Act (case number 01(01)2024). Investigations are underway to trace the source and destination of the drugs, and identify any potential accomplices involved in the smuggling operation.
