The Army has taken steps to check drug addiction among its recruits at a training centre in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong.
At an average altitude of 4,908 ft above sea level, Shillong has been a major base of the Army since the Second World War. The Indian Air Force’s Eastern Air Command and the headquarters of the Assam Rifles – India’s oldest paramilitary force formed in 1835 – are located on the city’s outskirts.
“There have been instances of Army personnel, generally recruits of the training centre located in Happy Valley (Shillong), being in possession of narcotic substances which on investigation were found to have been bought from civilians living in the area,” a Shillong-based defence spokesperson said on July 9.
“The particulars of these civilians have been shared with the Meghalaya Police for necessary action,” he added.
Once the capital of undivided Assam comprising much of present-day Northeast, Shillong has for long grappled with the drug trade and addiction. Officials said drug cartels for long had been using the city as the hub of their illegal trade from Myanmar via Mizoram.
On July 6, the Special Narcotics Squad and Criminal Investigation Department of the Mizoram Police arrested eight people, including three women, and seized heroin and cannabis worth ₹13.3 lakh. The eight were caught from Hringlangtang village in Champhai district bordering Myanmar.
Zokhathawr in Champhai district is a major border trade centre.
Almost a month ago, the Mizoram Police arrested 29 people and seized 1,085.97 grams of heroin, 1,21,800 methamphetamine tablets, small arms and a few exotic animals such as black parrots, black cockatoos, emus and an owl monkey. These were together worth ₹2.21 crore.
“The drug network has spread its tentacles everywhere and has penetrated even the Army. We have intensified the fight against the drug mafia and have cracked down on illegal outlets,” a police officer in Meghalaya said, declining to be quoted.
Addiction among Army personnel came to light after 15 people were arrested on July 4 for possessing 58 grams of heroin. The police had acted on a tip-off and arrested one person with almost half a gram of heroin. He spilt the beans, following which the police arrested the others one after the other from different parts of Shillong.
The officer said narcotic substances of various kinds – cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, opium and cannabis – had been seized over the past few months. “Places such as Madanriting are close to Army facilities. We have let the armed forces know about defence personnel taking drugs,” the officer added.
The police have also flagged some schools and colleges where students have fallen prey to drug dealers.
