Assam: Poppy seeds worth Rs 1.31 crore seized, two apprehended

Assam Rifles and DRI seized 8,764 kg of poppy seeds worth Rs 1.31 crore in Cachar. In other raids, police seized narcotics worth ₹14.5 crore in Sribhumi and Nagaon. A total of nine people were arrested in the combined operations.

Major Poppy Seed Haul in Cachar

Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), seized 8,764 kg of poppy seeds worth approximately Rs 1.31 crore in Assam's Cachar district and apprehended two persons, officials said on Sunday.

According to the release, during the operation, the team caught a consignment of poppy seeds weighing 8764Kgs worth Rs 1.31Cr being transported via Silchar Bypass Road late in the evening on 20 June 2026. The recovered poppy seeds have been handed over to DRI for further investigation. Two residents of Silchar have also been apprehended along with one truck and two mobile handsets. Assam Rifles and DRI have been at the forefront of anti-contraband trafficking operations in the region, conducting regular operations to disrupt and dismantle contraband networks. This seizure is a significant milestone in the effort to combat contraband trafficking.

Separate Narcotics Bust Worth ₹14.5 Crore

Earlier on June 18, in a series of successful operations, police recovered and seized narcotics worth ₹14.5 crore in Assam's Sribhumi and Nagaon districts on Thursday. The crackdown also led to the arrest of seven persons. In a post on X, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed that Sribhumi and Nagaon police had seized narcotics worth ₹14.5 crore. He wrote, "Our war against drugs is absolute and unyielding. In a series of successful operations, @sribhumipolice and @nagaonpolice seized narcotics worth ₹14.5 crore. Seven accused have been apprehended. The crackdown will continue."

Sribhumi District Operations

According to the Sribhumi district police, in two separate operations, 65,000 Yaba tablets worth ₹13 crore were recovered and seized. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Trinayan Bhuyan said that in the last 24 hours, Sribhumi district police had recovered 65,000 Yaba tablets in two separate operations and arrested four persons. "In the first operation, police recovered 17,000 Yaba tablets during a raid in the Kaliganj area of Sribhumi district and arrested one person. In the second operation, 48,000 Yaba tablets were recovered from the Patharkandi area, and three persons were arrested," the officer said. The arrested persons have been identified as Sabbir Uddin, Abdul Kadir, Jeherul Islam, and Guljan Hussain.

Nagaon District Operation

Meanwhile, based on intelligence inputs, a team of Nagaon district police conducted an operation at the Borghat bypass road and intercepted a vehicle carrying a large quantity of narcotics packed in 68 soap cases. Police arrested three persons in connection with the seizure.

A senior police official of Nagaon district said the vehicle was coming from Silchar towards Juria. "We conducted the operation based on source information. The market value of the seized drugs is estimated at around ₹1.5 crore," the officer said. (ANI)

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