LONGDING, May 8: In a concerted effort to combat illicit drug activities, Longding Police, in collaboration with the ECIB (MI), 24 Assam Rifles, and 36 E Coy CRPF, orchestrated a joint operation on May 7 last. Acting on a tip-off, authorities raided the residence of one Azen Wangsu, a former NSCN cadre presently residing in Zedua Village, Longding District.
During the raid, law enforcement seized opium-smudged cloth, weighing approximately 1.757 kilograms, with a street value of Rs. 1.701 lakhs, informed Superintendent of police-Longding, Dekio Gumja
He further added that, the operation resulted in the arrest of three individuals: Athen Pansa, aged 25, Waonu Pansa, aged 45, both hailing from Kamkah village, Myanmar; and Azen Wangsu, the proprietor of the house where the narcotics were discovered. Shiva Bini, an Executive Magistrate, oversaw the confiscation process alongside independent witnesses, stated ad SP.
Following the lodging of an FIR under sections 17(b) of the NDPS Act and Section 14 of the Foreigner Act, the case was assigned to Sub-Inspector Tempa Tsering for further investigation.
Moreover, eleven individuals, including Burmese nationals and locals from Longding District, were detained for interrogation. Among those detained were juveniles who, upon joint examination by the police and the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), were found to be innocent. These individuals had been misled by the arrested suspects and were unaware of the illicit substances present.
Investigations revealed that the Myanmar nationals, seeking affordable food and clothing, were guided by their elders, Athen Pansa and Waonu, added SP in a press statement.