Drugs worth over Rs 50 crore seized in Meghalaya last year, highest in state's history: DGP

Drugs worth over Rs 50 crore were seized in Meghalaya in 2022, the highest in the state's 50-year history, Director-General of Police (DGP) LR Bishnoi said.

A total of 234 people, including traffickers, were arrested in drugs-related cases last year, he told PTI. The seized drugs include 7 kg heroin worth Rs 45.22 crore, and over 27,000 bottles of cough syrup worth Rs 1.38 crore, he said.

Nearly 5 ton of ganja, 600 gram of opium and over 12,000 meth tablets were also seized, he said. A total of 116 cases were registered, and of those arrested, 20 were women, Bishnoi said.

"The seizures made in 2022 surpassed all previous records," the state police chief said. It may further increase in 2023 as Bishnoi said that there is an upward trend of arrest, seizure and registration of drugs related cases during the first two months. "In the first 70 days of 2023, 80 people were arrested.

Over 3 kg heroin and 140 kg ganja were seized, besides 60,000 tablets and 22,000 bottles of cough syrups. Further Rs 28 lakh in cash was recovered," he said. Of those arrested, 25 per cent were traffickers from other states, which include Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Punjab, Bihar and West Bengal, he said.

Expressing concern that many traffickers were securing bail, Bishnoi blamed the delay in getting test results from the forensic labs. A supervisory committee headed by the SP (CID) has been formed for monitoring the drugs-related cases to ensure the timely submission of charge sheets, he said.