The Joint YMA of Bilkhawthlir, a town in Kolasib district, has issued a press release regarding the arrest of Lalrotluanga, a Mizo bus driver from Bilkhawthlir, by the Assam police on Wednesday.
On 17August, 2021 (Tuesday,1), Lalrotluanga, a bus driver from Bilkhawthlir village, was approached by an unidentified non- Mizo driver in a Tata Ace vehicle loaded with 20 bags of betelnut. The man requested Lalrotluanga to take the bags of betel nut to pass through Lailapur checkgate as the duty personnels do not check buses. Lalroltuanga, who was bound for Silchar the next day, agreed to take the bags. The man told him that once the bags have passed through Lailapur checkgate, the pickup vehicle would take over the load.
However, the Mizo bus driver was in for a shock when Assam Police recovered 24 gms of heroin inside the betelnut bags at Lailapur checkgate. He was arrested immediately and there has been no trace of the man who approached him.
Bilkhawthlir Joint YMA strongly feels that something is amiss in the chain of events and demands proper investigation into the matter. The press release stated that Lalrotluanga, a resident of Bilkhawthlir, is known to be a law-abiding citizen and not someone who would take part in illegal drug trade. In the press release, the Joint YMA also expressed their disappointment at Assam Police for not notifying Mizoram police regarding the matter. The press release also mentioned that Assam Police refused to address the matter and switched off their phones when Mizoram Police tried to make contact. Lalroltuanga is currently held under the custody of Assam Police and the Bilkhawthlir Joint YMA also urged the state government to intervene in the matter.
Bilkhawthlir Driver Association also issued a press release statement where they expressed their solidarity for Lalrothanga whom they feel has been wrongly framed by miscreants. Although tensions seem to have died down in the Assam- Mizoram border area and the surrounding villages, there is no denying that a sense of distrust, suspicion and an underlying fear still haunts the residents of the villages near the border area.
