Minhajul Abedin being taken away by the police
Guwahati, June 5: The Guwahati Police held a serving Assam Police personnel late Thursday night and seized a large quantity of suspected narcotic substances from his quarter in the city, exposing the alleged involvement of a law enforcement officer in illegal drug-related activities.
The arrested personnel has been identified as Minhajul Abedin, a Lance Naik of the 17th Assam Police Battalion, who was recently posted at Jalukbari Police Station.
According to police, Abedin was apprehended following a period of surveillance based on intelligence inputs regarding his alleged involvement in illegal activities.
Acting on specific information, police officials tracked the movements of the accused and launched an operation on Thursday night. The raid was conducted at a rented accommodation located on Teteliya Lakhimi Path under the jurisdiction of Garchuk Police Station.
During the search operation, police recovered a substantial quantity of contraband, including 63,300 suspected methamphetamine tablets (commonly known as yaba tablets) and 1,500 bottles of cough syrup.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), Balin Deuri, said the accused had been under observation for some time after police received credible information about his alleged involvement in unlawful activities.
"We received information that the individual was engaged in illegal activities, following which we began monitoring him closely. A team was assigned to keep watch on his movements and gather evidence. On Thursday night, at around 10:30 pm, we detained him and subsequently conducted a search at his quarter in Teteliya Lakhimi Path. During the operation, we recovered 63,300 methamphetamine tablets and 1,500 bottles of cough syrup," Deuri said.
The senior police officer stressed that the department maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards drug trafficking and criminal activities, irrespective of an individual's position within the force.
"Whether it is a police personnel or any other citizen, we will not tolerate involvement in narcotics or any illegal activities. The law will take its course, and strict action will be initiated against anyone found violating it," he added.
Police said Abedin had been posted at Jalukbari Police Station since May and was serving as a Lance Naik under the 17th Assam Police Battalion. Preliminary investigations suggest that he may have been involved in the smuggling and distribution of illegal substances for an extended period, although officials said further inquiries are underway to determine the full extent of the network.
In addition to criminal proceedings, the Assam Police Department is expected to initiate departmental action against the accused.
A case has been registered, and Garchuk Police have launched a detailed investigation into the matter.