The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has raised an alarm over the increasing flow of illicit drugs into the North-East from neighbouring Myanmar. The UN agency, in association with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, today released a report highlighting the emerging trends of drug use in the region. At least seven major routes spanning four states — Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh — that shares border with Myanmar have been identified through which “Number 4” (as heroin is locally known) and amphetamine are easily smuggled. Chandel and Imphal in Manipur, and Kohima and Tuensang in Nagaland are among the worst affected districts.The agency’s South Asia representative Gary Lewis said that a UNODC team would soon visit the affected districts to assess the situation. Lewis, along with the agency’s executive director Antonio Mario Costa, have met several ministers and officials since yesterday, including Home Minister Shivraj Patil. “There has been crackdowns on drug barons in Thailand and Laos recently, following which drug traders from Myanmar must have shifted their attention to North-East. Also there are possibilities of amphetamine producing units being shifted to areas adjacent to Manipur and Nagaland,’’ an official of the Narcotics Control Bureau said. The North-East shares a long border of 1,641 kms with Myanmar and it is only at two stretches in Mizoram and Manipur that fencing has begun.-rajeev.bhattacharyya@epressindia.com
