Aizawl, Oct 30 The Mizoram government on Friday launched the second phase of its anti-drug campaign, ‘Operation Jericho’, to prevent the movement of narcotics into and across the state ahead of the upcoming festive season, officials said.
Director General of Police (DGP) Sharad Agarwal formally launched the operation during a programme at the police headquarters here.
The campaign will involve personnel from the first, third and fifth battalions of the Mizoram Armed Police and the first Indian Reserve Battalion, with the respective district superintendents of police supervising the campaign, they said.
The first phase of Operation Jericho was launched on September 1 last year through a joint effort involving the Mizoram Police, Excise and Narcotics Department and Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA).
Police personnel were deployed in 22 villages along the India-Myanmar border in Champhai district to check drug trafficking in coordination with district police, civil society organisations, village defence parties and local YMA branches.
The first phase resulted in the seizure of narcotics valued at around Rs 391.95 crore, registration of 203 cases and arrest of 298 people up to March 31 this year, when the dedicated deployment was withdrawn, police said.
District police subsequently continued the operation using their existing forces, they said.
The campaign has since expanded significantly, with 447 cases registered, 663 people arrested and narcotic drugs worth Rs 843.47 crore seized as of October 26, they said.
Under Operation Jericho-2, special emphasis will be placed on districts bordering neighbouring countries, with intelligence-led enforcement, enhanced inter-agency coordination, border vigilance and community participation forming the key components of the campaign, officials said.
They said the operation seeks not only to intercept narcotics but also to dismantle trafficking networks operating across the state.
The government has appealed to the public to remain vigilant and promptly share information about drug trafficking, peddling and other narcotics-related activities with the authorities.
(PTI News)
