Manipuri man held with 200kg of drugs

A 32-year-old man alleged to have links with insurgent groups in northeast India was arrested with 200kg of ephedrine - a banned narcotic substance - from southwest Delhi's Samalakha village, police said on Monday. HT reports.

A 32-year-old man alleged to have links with insurgent groups in northeast India was arrested with 200kg of ephedrine - a banned narcotic substance - from southwest Delhi's Samalakha village, police said on Monday.

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"The accused has been identified as Napoleon Thockchom, hailing from Manipur. He was apprehended from Samalakha village on April 1," said Arun Kampani, DCP (Special Cell).

"Thockchom's cousin Robindro, is suspected to be a front man of banned terrorist organisation KCP (MC) Lalihba. We received information that the duo had come to Delhi in order to collect a consignment of ephedrine," he added.

"Thockchom was apprehended while he was going to Delhi Airport to book the consignment for Manipur."

According to intelligence inputs, large quantities of ephedrine were being illegally supplied from Delhi to Myanmar and China via Manipur.

Ephedrine is a key precursor to amphetamine-based stimulants such as ecstasy. Police said the contraband - estimated to be worth more than R200 crore in the international market - was to be smuggled to China and Myanmar.