Guwahati, May 23: Assam Police foiled a drug peddling attempt in Cachar district on Friday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced.

Police conducted an operation in the Cachar district, resulting in the seizure of narcotics valued at Rs 3.11 crore.

The operation against drugs was carried out by police on intelligence-backed information.

Taking to X, Sarma wrote, “Backed by intel, @cacharpolice carried out an operation near ISBT Silchar and apprehended a drug peddler with 622 gms heroin, valued at ₹3.11cr.”

“Our relentless #AssamAgainstDrugs effort will continue. Good job @assampolice”, he added.

Earlier on Thursday, drugs valued at over Rs 5.7 crores were seized by the security forces in Manipur and Mizoram. A defence spokesman said that Assam Rifles successfully apprehended a drug trafficker and seized a large amount of illegal narcotics from Manipur’s Noney district on Wednesday night.

The suspected drug peddler was moving in a truck from Imphal to Jiribam, along National Highway-37.

After receiving input from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence about the likely trafficking of narcotics, Assam Rifles personnel became vigilant and stopped a vehicle matching the description at a check post in Noney.

During the search operation, 569.24 grams of heroin and large quantities of amphetamine/methamphetamine tablets were recovered from the possession of the arrested drug peddler.

The drugs, the total value of which is Rs 5 crore, were contained in 50 cases of soap and 49 sachets.

In another incident, Border Security Force (BSF) personnel of the Mizoram and Cachar Frontier, based on specific input, conducted a search operation at Vairengte in Mizoram’s Kolasib district, along southern Assam, and seized 7.042 kg of pseudoephedrine tablets (a precursor chemical) valued at Rs 7.04 lakh.

One person was also arrested in connection with the drug seizure, a BSF spokesman said. Officials said that all the drugs were smuggled from neighbouring Myanmar.

Chennai, May 22: Following stern directives from the Madras High Court, authorities have initiated the removal of encroachments along the Adyar riverbank in Tamil Nadu’s Anakaputhur, with plans to complete the process within a week.

The court had recently issued a three-month deadline to the Tamil Nadu government to eliminate all encroachments obstructing the Adyar River Restoration Project.

Responding to this, the Water Resources Department on Wednesday began demolishing illegal structures, including around 50 houses in Anakaputhur. Officials confirmed that this is the first phase of the eviction drive.

The removal will continue in downstream areas such as Thideer Nagar, Jyothi Ammal Nagar, Surya Nagar, and Malligaipoo Nagar in Saidapet and Kotturpuram in the coming weeks.

An official from the Water Resources Department stated, “We will proceed with the clearance, one neighbourhood at a time, as per the court’s directive. The project had been delayed for years due to the presence of these encroachments.”

The state’s Additional Advocate-General J. Ravindran informed the court that the encroachments had halted progress on the Adyar River Restoration Project — a major initiative worth Rs 1,500 crore announced in three consecutive budgets since 2023.

Due to the obstructions, contractors were unable to prepare a detailed project report, stalling the project indefinitely.

In Anakaputhur alone, 593 families residing in areas such as Quaid-e-Milleth Nagar, Thai Moogambikai Nagar, Santhai Nagar, and MGR Nagar Third Street are being evicted. However, the state government is providing alternative housing to the affected families.

“Each displaced family will be allotted a 390-square-foot house at no cost. These houses, valued at Rs 17 lakh each, are located in Talaivaram, Keerapakkam, Perumbakkam, and Navalur,” the official added.

The Adyar River Restoration Project aims to rejuvenate the heavily polluted waterway and prevent urban flooding — a recurring issue during Chennai’s monsoon seasons. The successful removal of encroachments is expected to pave the way for its long-awaited implementation.

Mumbai, May 21: The Amboli Police in Mumbai have busted an online sex racket operating out of the Andheri area, leading to the arrest of a 28-year-old man allegedly running the illegal operation, officials said on Wednesday.

A 30-year-old woman, believed to have been forced into prostitution, was rescued during the operation.

The accused has been identified as Sarfaraz alias Mohammad Gulab Phoolbabu Sheikh, a resident of Versova in Andheri.

According to police, Sarfaraz was using mobile phones and messaging apps like WhatsApp to operate the racket, offering women to clients at various hotels, lodges, and guest houses across the city based on demand.

Police launched an undercover operation following a tip-off. A decoy customer contacted Sarfaraz, who then shared several photographs of women via WhatsApp for selection. Once a woman was chosen, the financial deal was also finalised over the phone.

As per the plan, Sarfaraz was asked to bring the woman to a hotel on Veera Desai Road in Andheri. When he arrived at the hotel with the woman and began negotiating with the fake client, police officers who were already stationed nearby swooped in and detained him for questioning.

During preliminary interrogation, the rescued woman told police that Sarfaraz had brought her to the hotel for prostitution. She was immediately taken for a medical check-up and later sent to a private rescue and rehabilitation centre in Kandivali for further care.

Police have registered a case against Sarfaraz under Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant sections of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA).

Further investigation is underway to ascertain the scale of the operation and identify others who may be involved in the sex racket.

Officials said more arrests are likely as the accused is being interrogated for details on his network, including customers, others, and women who may have been trafficked or coerced into the trade.