AIZAWL: A 27-year-old Myanmar national was arrested in Mizoram's capital Aizawl after heroin worth Rs five lakh was recovered from his possession, police said on Sunday.
Acting on a tip-off, a team from the Bawnkawn Police Station apprehended the person on Saturday and seized 10 grams of the narcotics substance.
The accused hails from Tahan in the neighbouring country and has been booked under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and the Foreigners Act, the state police said in a statement.
The police personnel have been making efforts to curb smuggling activities in the state, it said.
Nearly 40 Myanmar nationals have been arrested between January and September this year in drug-related cases, a senior police officer said.
The Mizoram Police had on October 14 seized 6.8 kilograms of heroin worth over Rs 34 crore from the possession of a drug peddler at the new Champhai village near the Myanmar border.
The seizure was believed to be the biggest drug haul in recent years in the northeastern state.
Notably, altogether 30,401 people from Myanmar have crossed the international border and taken refuge in Mizoram after the neighbouring country's military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi there in February last year, state Home Minister Lalchamliana informed the assembly last month.
The majority of the refugees live in relief camps, while others are accommodated by their local relatives and some live in rented houses.
Six Mizoram districts -Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Serchhip, Hnahthial and Saitual- share a 510 km-long international border with Myanmar's Chin state.