Shillong/Aizawl, Oct 18 (IANS) After the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021 and the ethnic turmoil in Manipur since May 2023, illegal drug-related activities and smuggling into the country's northeastern region increased, officials said on Friday, stressing the need to step up vigilance and action to curb the drug menace.

Meghalaya Social Welfare Minister, Paul Lyngdoh, said that the ethnic unrest in neighbouring Manipur caused the growing drug trafficking in the mountainous state.

"This is an unfortunate part because of our region's strategic location and very proximity to the 'Golden Triangle' drug menaces are active in the region," he told the media.

The Minister, who also holds the Arts, Culture and Tourism Departments, said that due to the unrest in Manipur, illicit drugs trade has shifted from that particular area to Meghalaya, and it has become a major challenge for the government.

Saying that the state’s police and law-enforcing agencies have been kept on alert, he announced that the Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) would be further strengthened and the ANTF would be headed by a senior retired IPS officer.

The Minister said that he would soon visit Delhi to apprise the concerned central ministry about the seriousness and growing drug threat in Meghalaya.

Lyngdoh said that earlier only the police department was dealing with drug-related activities and now various departments and wings are very proactive to curb the drug-related challenges.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma personally looked after the matter and it shows the level of seriousness of the government, he said.

"We are in the process of constituting the Village Defence Party (VDP). The DREAM (Drug Reduction, Elimination & Action Mission) would be further strengthened," the Social Welfare Minister said.

Meanwhile, in Aizawl, senior police officers and other security officials submitted that smuggling of drugs, mostly heroin and methamphetamine tablets, also known as party tablets or Yaba, into India from Myanmar, has risen to a great extent after the military coup in the neighbouring country in February 2021.

The Assam Rifles, which has been guarding the unfenced 510 km of border with Myanmar, have seized different types of drugs valued at around Rs 67 crore and arrested eight drug peddlers, including three Myanmarese, during the last one week.

Officials said that during the six separate operations during the past one week, the paramilitary troopers seized 350 grams of heroin, 22.309 kg of methamphetamine tablets, 7.6 kg of ganja (Marijuana) and 90 lakhs of illegal Indian currencies.

Mizoram Police and Customs officials also often accompanied the Assam Rifles personnel in the operations against the illegal drugs peddling.

Mizoram, southern Assam and Tripura have become corridors of drug smuggling as the three northeastern states share borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Officials said that all the drugs smuggled from Myanmar and through Mizoram are ferried to southern Assam and Tripura to further smuggle these to Bangladesh or other parts of India.