Guwahati, Nov 21 (IANS) In two separate incidents, Assam Police have seized narcotic substances worth several crores from Cachar and Karbi Anglong districts, officials said on Monday. Five persons, who were allegedly involved in drug peddling, were apprehended by the police.
In Cachar, three people were arrested with 1.80 lakh tablets used for intoxication on Sunday in the Lakhipur area in the district. Police informed that the international market value of seized tablets is around Rs 50 crore.
The accused were identified as Abdul Saeed, Ibazur Rahman and Sameer Alam, all residents of the Cachar district.
Cachar Superintendent of Police Numal Mahato said, "These three were smuggling tablets in a lorry. The drugs were being smuggled in a secret chamber built in the vehicle's carrier. Based on a specific information, three people were arrested after searching the vehicle and tablets were seized."
The police officer further informed that as per the initial investigation, Abdul Saeed had brought the tablets from the Churachandpur district of neighbouring Manipur state. The purpose was to smuggle them to foreign countries.
Further investigation is underway in the case.
In another incident, police and CRPF in a joint operation intercepted a truck and seized four quintals of Ganja hidden in a modified secret chamber in Karbi Anglong district on Sunday. Two accused were also apprehended.
Referring to alleged reports of snooping of prominent citizens using Israeli Pegasus spyware, senior BJP leader and union minister Meenakshi Lekhi on Thursday said that these kinds of stories are concocted, fabricated and have no evidence.
On Wednesday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal gave permission to the Jantar Mantar demonstration on the condition that a maximum of 200 protesters will be allowed till August 9 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Sidhu sent an invite, signed by some 62 legislators, through working presidents, Kuljit Singh Nagra and Sangat Singh Gilzian, to the 'sulking' Chief Minister to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
In a statement here, Badal said it was condemnable that the NDA government had targeted Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar and the Bharat Samachar group because they had posed tough questions to the government in keeping with high standards of journalism.
In a written reply to parliamentarian Binoy Viswam in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State (External Affairs) V.A. Muraleedharan said during the unprecedented crisis, the international community came forward with offers of solidarity and assistance for specific medicines and equipment that were not immediately available in the country.
With the Pegasus snoopgate leading to ruckus in the Parliament, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday that the news story on snooping was an attempt to malign India's democracy and its institutions.
