Agartala: Jampui Hill Joint NGO committee, an umbrella organization of five principal NGOs active in the state’s lone hill station, met with the Block Development Officer of Jampui Hills RD block in a deputation on Monday to seek action against police officials who were reportedly helping smuggling rackets.
The NGOs submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, Dr Manik Saha, through the BDO, detailing the malpractices.
Dr Zairemthiama Pachuau, General Secretary of Jampui Hill Mizo Convention, spoke on the issue and stated that the community had organized a public protest at Jampui Hill RD Block premises to raise their voice against smuggling activities that were being carried out unabated in their area with the help of some police officials.
He shared a copy of the memorandum with EastMojo, which highlighted how the officer in-charge of Vanghmun police station, Samuel Reang, had allegedly been helping the smugglers to evade police dragnets in exchange for bribes.
“Our community volunteers on April 03 intercepted and caught a group of smugglers trying to pass 58 heads of cattle, which were being illegally transported from Myanmar to Tripura through Mizoram. The smugglers did not have any valid papers to substantiate that those cattle were being transported legally. One of the smugglers identified as Jabir Hussain informed that the cows would be transported to Damcherra and the local cops are aware of this illegal trade,” the memorandum reads.
The memo also noted that during the altercation between the community leaders, volunteers, and the smugglers, the Officer in Charge showed up at the spot and requested the local inhabitants to let the consignment of cattle pass smoothly. When they refused, he even tried to bribe them.
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The NGOs also alleged that on April 5, a huge consignment of unlawfully transported Burmese Areca nuts was caught by local residents at Vanghmun village. The Officer in Charge and one of his subordinate officers were present on that occasion as well but in plain clothes. It was noted that on several occasions, such vehicles were found to be passing using that route. “We have been informed that the police had promised the smugglers free passage,” said members of the NGOs.
he memorandum concludes by stating that “All the above statements of ours have been authenticated by photos, videos, and voice records which are in our possession. We are really concerned that such a huge scale of smuggling has been going on in broad daylight with the involvement of the local law enforcement agency (police). How can we trust our police in such a situation? Now it is areca nut and cattle smuggling, next time it could be drugs or human trafficking. Therefore, we demand that the present Officer in Charge of Vanghmun PS and his men involved be held accountable and punished as per the law.”
The memorandum sought stringent measures against the Officer in Charge and officials responsible for the activities.
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