Meghalaya Police foil bid to smuggle marijuana in East Jaintia Hills
Staff Reporter
Shillong, March 14: Two persons were arrested along with over 71 kgs of marijuana in the East Jaintia Hills district on 14th morning. They have been identified as Babalu Singh (56) of Kale Diara, Patna and Saranjan Mahto (39) of Bihar, district police chief Jagpal Singh Dhanoa said.
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He said a Naka was set up by the ANTF team and staff of the anti-infiltration Umtyra CP after receiving credible information that two drug suppliers are travelling in a Maruti Sx4 (As 01 AN 3312) with suspected contraband concealed in the vehicle moving from Kalain towards Khliehriat.
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Their vehicle was intercepted while it was coming from Lumshnong at 6.15 am. On a search being conducted, 117 packets of suspected contraband were found hidden under the rear bumper and backlight.
A preliminary test of the suspected contraband was conducted and showed positive results for Marijuana weighing 71.476 kgs, the SP said.
A case under the appropriate section of the NDPS Act has been registered at Khliehriat police station and an investigation is on to trace the forward and backward linkages, he added.
Meghalaya Deputy CM counters Himanta’s statement; Says Mukroh is part of Meghalaya
Staff Reporter
Shillong, March 13: Countering the claim made by the Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that Mukroh is well within Meghalaya territory.
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“Our stand is very clear that Mukroh is well within Meghalaya. Even till this moment it is under the possession of Meghalaya,” Tynsong told reporters.
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He was reacting to Sarma’s statement informing the Assam Assembly that Mukroh is within the boundary of Assam and is under the jurisdiction of the West Karbi Anglong district.
On November 22, last year six persons including five Khasi villagers and one Assam forest guard were killed in an unprovoked firing by the Assam police at Mukroh village in West Jaintia Hills District.
When asked, Tynsong said, “I don’t know why such a statement was made by the Assam CM because now we are in the process of stepping into the second phase of talk. I personally feel he should not say that. It is very unfortunate if he had made the statement inside the House,” while reiterating “But let me tell you one more thing very clearly that Mukroh area falls under Meghalaya.”
The deputy chief minister ruled out that the state government will shoot a protest letter to the Assam government and said, “Not necessarily because the talk will start again so just wait for that.”
He informed that the government is working out on priority to reconstitute the regional committees to take the second phase of border talks forward for resolving the remaining six areas of difference shared between the two states.
“We have already made it very clear to the people of the state that the second phase of talks will start very soon so will work accordingly,” Tynsong said.
On March 29, last year a memorandum of understanding was signed between Assam and Meghalaya in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah ending the dispute in six of the twelve areas of difference.