Continuing its major crackdown on trafficking of contrabands in the North Eastern region of the country, officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), in an intelligence led operation conducted jointly with the personnel of the 38 Battalion of Assam Rifles, seized 20 kg methamphetamine tablets (commonly known as yaba) from a tipper truck on November 12.

Acting on an intelligence input, DRI officers intercepted a Tata tipper truck near Borkhola in Cachar district and during its detailed inspection, with the assistance of a mechanic, officers detected a specially concealed cavity in the upper inner portion of the truck’s right-side panel. The panel bore signs of cutting and welding, which had been camouflaged with cement and paint.

Upon opening the cavity, officers recovered 32 packets containing pinkish-orange tablets suspected to be methamphetamine. The recovery comprised 17 brick-shaped packets weighing 1 kg each and 15 rectangular packets weighing 200 grams each. Preliminary field tests on representative samples using an NDPS Field Detection Kit indicated the presence of amphetamine.

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The recovered tablets, weighing 20 kg in total, along with the truck, were seized under the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The occupant of the truck was arrested under the provisions of the Act.

The operation has exposed an innovative concealment method involving a fabricated cavity inside the side panel of a tipper truck, with the opening camouflaged using cement and paint to evade detection during routine checks.

The DRI stated that it remained committed to dismantling drug trafficking networks and curbing the movement of illicit narcotics through sustained intelligence-led operations and coordination with other enforcement agencies.