Guwahati, March 9 The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said on Monday that it had seized over 500 kg of marijuana worth Rs 2.6 crore and arrested two dealers from the Karbi Anglong district of Assam.
Acting on a tip-off, the NCB's Guwahati Zonal Unit, in a joint operation with the CRPF, tracked an illicit drug consignment being transported from Manipur to West Bengal in a truck on Sunday.
"Following a thorough search of the vehicle, a total of 524.9 kg of marijuana, estimated to be worth approximately Rs 2.6 crore, was recovered. The contraband had been concealed in a specially fabricated cavity inside the truck in an attempt to evade detection," the NCB said in a statement.
The security team also apprehended two individuals in connection with the seizure.
"Preliminary investigation revealed that the source of the contraband was the forest areas of the Senapati district in Manipur, while the destination was the Birbhum district in West Bengal," it said.
Further investigation in the case is underway to identify and apprehend other members of the drug trafficking network, it added.
The anti-narcotics agency said this is the second major seizure made by the NCB Guwahati Zonal Unit within a month. Earlier on February 7, it had seized 11.7 kg of methamphetamine near Silchar in Assam, valued at around Rs 9.5 crore.
"In view of the upcoming assembly elections in Assam and West Bengal, the NCB Guwahati Zonal Unit has intensified its operations and surveillance against drug trafficking networks operating in the region," the statement said.
The NCB North Eastern Region has seized drugs worth Rs 105 crore in the last two months, and has apprehended 40 traffickers, it said.