GUWAHATI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Centre would soon take some strong measures against cross-border smuggling of weapons and drugs in the Northeast.
“We are going to take some strong measures against the smuggling of drugs and weapons and trafficking (in the Northeast),” Shah said at a meeting of non-Congress North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) here on Monday.
The meeting was attended by all eight chief ministers of the region.
He urged the states sharing international border to cooperate with the Centre and security forces in this regard.
The illegal trade of arms and drugs besides gold thrives on the porous India-Myanmar border. Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram share their border with Myanmar. The Northeast has a huge market of illegal weapons and drugs.
Shah said the Northeast has great importance from the point of view of security, culture and environment. He said India’s land boundary agreement signed with Bangladesh would help the Northeast to become a business hub.
“The Northeast makes up 26 per cent of the country’s forest cover. It is giving oxygen to the country,” Shah said.