BJP Member Arrested for Drug Possession in Manipur
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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chairman of the Chandel Autonomous District Council (ADC), Lutkhosei Zou, in Manipur, has been arrested by the Narcotics and Affairs of the Border (NAB) for being in possession of drugs worth Rs. 27 crores.
The NAB seized around 5 kilos of heroin powder, 28 kilos of World is Yours (WY) tablets, Rs. 57.18 lakh in cash and demonetised currency notes worth Rs. 95,000. Apart from the drugs and cash, the NAB also seized one pistol, a rifle, two gun license books and eight bank passbooks.
Read More: Will a Stable Government in Myanmar End the Drug Problem in South and Southeast Asia?
On April 15, 2018, a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the NAB was arrested in connection to his personal vehicle being used to transport narcotics. This came around three years after Colonel Ajay Choudhury had been arrested for smuggling a precursor drug to Myanmar. Precursor drugs are those that are used in manufacturing narcotics. These substances often are not banned, though their use and sale are often regulated.
The retired DSP's arrest then led to a major breakthrough for the NAB when they arrested the man dubbed as the kingpin of the drug trade in Manipur, Haji Basleuddin on June 8. Basleuddin had reportedly been involved in the trade since at least the 1980s and also been implicated in cases involving deadly assault.
Read More: Drug Kingpin Arrested in Manipur
Whether the current arrest of Zou is a result of the ongoing investigations post-Basleuddin's arrest has not been made public. However, the series of arrests for drug trafficking since Colonel Ajay Chowdhury does point towards the conclusion that the State machinery has participated in the trade. Whether the current rounds of arrests are a matter of 'loose ends' or a serious push to crack down on crime cannot be determined at this point. Considering that the drug trade is a 'demand driven' business, it will probably only be a matter of time before new channels emerge.
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