The Home Department of the Government of Mizoram issued a press release in response to an Assam Government order that requires the checking of all vehicles entering into Assam from Mizoram.
The press release states: “It is unfortunate to learn that the Government of Assam instructed its police to check all vehicles entering into Assam from Mizoram due to reported seizure of illicit drugs in Assam recently which were alleged to have been trafficked from across the border via Mizoram into the territory of Assam.”
The press release further quoted the Mizoram Government Home department as saying that, “This will undoubtedly create unnecessary problems and hardships to the innocent citizens of the country traveling from Mizoram to Assam.” The press release states that there have been instances of vehicles being seized and people being arrested for carrying illicit drugs coming over from Assam to Mizoram, in the past. However, Mizoram had never initiated a mandatory checking of every vehicle passing through the Assam-Mizoram boundary as the state government feels that “it is needless and unconstitutional to check unsuspected vehicles and persons.” “There are no such restrictions on the movement of non-residents of Mizoram traveling within Mizoram through the Mizoram-Assam border. This order may however be viewed as another way of creating an opportunity to harass all vehicles and passengers from Mizoram by Assam police,” stated the press release issued by the Mizoram government.
The order issued by the Assam government also stated that vehicles will be thoroughly inspected by Assam Police personnel, not below the rank of sub-inspector of police. This will be applicable for all Assam-Mizoram borders.
During the last 10 years, huge quantities of illicit drugs have been seized in Mizoram which was smuggled from Assam. The press release states that the seized drugs include 1.05kgs of heroin, 3057.08 kgs of pseudoephedrine, 4,30,385 caps of Parvon Spas, 24.114 kgs of ganja, and 13,053 caps of proxy on. In these busts, 296 cases have been registered and 395 people from Assam have been arrested.
The issued release goes on to say that the issue of drugs trafficking is a worldwide problem and that it is not feasible for a single state to fight a lone battle in the war against drugs. The Mizoram government further proposed that the issue of drug trafficking can be solved through better communication between the states and coordination between district police on the opposing borders, as opposed to the harassing of innocent civilians.
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