IMPHAL:
Vigilance has been stepped up by the Assam Rifles along the India-Myanmar border in Manipur to check possible human trafficking and illegal drug trade, an official of the paramilitary force said here Wednesday.
The locals, mostly traders travelling to the border town of Moreh, have been asked to travel with proper identity proofs, the official said. The existing bilateral agreement allowed local residents of both the countries to travel up to 16 km from the border without travel documents.
“The step has been necessitated following inputs about the possible movement of militants and drug smugglers in in Chandel, Churanchandpur and Ukhrul districts of the state,” the Assam Rifles official said.
The precautionary measure has also been taken in the wake of the rescue of 12 suspected Rohingya refugees allegedly from a human trafficking gang in neighbouring Mizoram and the detection of “unauthorised camps” set up by NSCN(IM), a militant outfit, at Shihai village in Ukhrul district, five km from the international border.
The NSCN(IM) has been in a peace mode since 1997 following its signing of a ceasefire agreement with the Centre. According to ceasefire ground rules, members of the outfit cannot venture outside their designated camps which are located in Nagaland.
