Silchar: Police seized nearly 46 grams of suspected heroin worth around Rs 20 lakh from a cloth shop in Hailakandi district and arrested a person during an anti-narcotics operation on Saturday.The raid was carried out at Mohanpur under Algapur police station, where investigators suspect the shop was being used as a front for drug trafficking activities. The arrested accused has been identified as Hafizur Haque Borbhuiya (24). Another suspect remains absconding, and efforts are underway to trace him.Police also seized two motorcycles believed to have been used for transporting narcotics. Preliminary examination confirmed that the recovered substance is suspected to be heroin.Officials said investigations are ongoing to identify other members of the network and determine the extent of the trafficking operation.The seizure comes a day after Cachar police arrested two women and recovered 123 grams of suspected narcotic substances from their possession in Nagatilla along the Silchar-Sonai Road, highlighting what police describe as a growing trend of traffickers using women to evade law enforcement scrutiny.Acting on a tip-off, police arrested Suhana Begum Laskar (38), wife of Kabir Hussain Laskar, and Manowara Begum Laskar (41), wife of Nur Mohammad Laskar, both residents of South Mohanpur under Sonai police station.During the search, officers recovered 123 grams of suspected narcotics concealed inside 10 soap cases using a specially designed hiding method. The contraband was seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and both women were arrested.Police officials said traffickers are increasingly adopting new methods to transport narcotics, with the use of women couriers emerging as a worrying trend. Several women have been arrested with narcotics from different parts of Cachar district over the past month, indicating a shift in trafficking strategies.According to local observers, drug syndicates are targeting economically vulnerable women in rural areas by offering monetary incentives to transport narcotics. In many cases, women are allegedly lured by the promise of quick earnings, exposing families and communities to serious social consequences.Separate cases have been registered under the NDPS Act, and investigators are probing whether larger interstate trafficking networks are involved. Police said their anti-drug operations would continue with intensified efforts in the coming days.
