Security Forces Seize Yaba Worth Over Rs 1 Crore, Arrest Three in Tengnoupal

Security forces arrested three suspected drug smugglers and seized 5.89 kg of yaba tablets during a checkpoint operation in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district, police said on Monday.

The arrests were made after a vehicle, in which the accused were travelling, was intercepted in the Tengnoupal police station area based on specific intelligence inputs.

The arrested individuals have been identified as James Baite (28), Hatneikim Baite (50) and David T Mate (41). Police said the seized consignment of yaba tablets is estimated to be worth over Rs 1 crore in the illegal market, pointing to a major attempt to traffic narcotics through the border district.

Yaba, which translates to “crazy medicine” in Thai, is a tablet-based form of methamphetamine and is considered a highly potent stimulant.

International agencies note that the drug was first introduced in East Asia during World War II to enhance soldiers’ performance and has since become a widely abused narcotic across several Southeast Asian countries.

Police said further investigation is underway to trace the source of the drugs and to identify possible links to larger cross-border drug trafficking networks operating in the region.