Aizawl: Acting on specific inputs, Mizoram police and the Excise and Narcotics department rescued 140 exotic animals and birds in Champhai near the Myanmar border on Saturday, a senior police said.
Mizoram Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) John Neihlaia said that three people have been arrested for transporting the consignment.
The consignment included 30 tortoises, 2 monkeys, 2 marmosets monkeys, 22 pythons, 18 Sumatran water monitors, 55 crocodiles (hatchlings), 4 flame power birds, 4 servel cats, 2 marmosets and 1 albino wallaby, he said.
The exotic animals and birds were suspected to be smuggled to Myanmar, he said.
He said that three vehicles used for trafficking the consignment were also seized.
The consignment along with the three accused and vehicles was handed over to the Central Customs department on Saturday, he said.
Champhai in the southern part of Mizoram has become the main route for smuggling drugs and other illegal items, including exotic wild species to the country from Myanmar.
Meanwhile, a 27-year-old Myanmar national was arrested by the state police on Sunday for possessing 10 grams of heroin worth Rs. 5 lakh.
The accused from Tahan in Myanmar was booked under the relevant sections of the Narcotics Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act 1985) and the foreigner act, police said.
Earlier on Friday, Mizoram police also seized 6.8 kilograms of heroin worth over Rs. 34 crores from the possession of a drug peddler at the new Champhai village near the Myanmar border.
Friday’s seizure was believed to be the biggest drug haul in recent years in the state.
The state police have been making massive efforts to curb the smuggling and trafficking of contraband goods.
On Saturday, a 42-year-old woman from Aizawl’s Zemabawk locality was held with fake currency notes worth Rs. 98,000 in Champhai.
The currency notes were in 500 denominations.
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