Manipur police on Tuesday said that a member of Gram Panchayat (GP) was arrested with illegal drugs on Tuesday.
A joint team of Imphal East district police and its narcotic cell arrested the GP member and her son with a large quantity of contraband drugs, valued around Rs 4 lakh in the international market. The arrested GP member has been identified as Thoibi Begum (45), wife of late Abo khan of Khergao Makha Leikai and her son as Abdul Hanal @ Anand (23).
Addressing a press conference at his office on Tuesday afternoon, Imphal East superintendent of police (SP), Dr Haobijam Jogeshchandra claimed that 29 gram of heroin powder packed in 98 plastic vials, 890 pieces of WY tablets in four packets were recovered from the possessions of the mother and son. The police officer estimated the value of the seized WY tablets and the heroin powder at around Rs. 4,10,000 in the international market.
Thoibi Begum is presently a sitting ward member of Kshetrigao part -Il Gram Panchayat ward no. 4/32. She was elected in 2017 elections to the gram panchayat elections, the police officer said. The police officer then accused the arrested drug peddler of using minor children in her drug peddling activities.
The mother and son were arrested during an operation in the locality (Khergao Makha Leikai Yumkhaibam Leirak today morning, around 5 am, based on specific information, the SP said.
The operation supervised by him was assisted by members of Youth Athletic Development Association (YADA) of Khergao during a raid in the house of the elected GP member, the SP said. The arrested persons along with the recovered drugs were handed over to Porompat police station for taking necessary legal action against them, he added.