Fresh influx of 3,000 refugees from Myanmar into Mizoram over four days
Champhai, Mizoram: Over 3,000 Myanmarese refugees have fled to Mizoram’s Champhai district in the past four days, following intense clashes between two ethnic armed groups in Myanmar’s Chin State. This fresh influx has added to the existing population of over 32,000 refugees who have already taken shelter in Mizoram due to the ongoing civil war in the neighbouring country.
According to local reports, the refugees, mainly from Khawmawi, Rikhawdar, and Lianhna villages in Chin State, fled after a fierce gun battle broke out between the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) and the Chinland Defence Force (CDF) in the Hualngo area. These two are among several anti-Junta forces operating in the region.
A report by Mizoram Post stated that the displaced persons have been accommodated in Zokhawthar village of Champhai district. The majority of the influx occurred between July 3 and 5, with continued movement even after hostilities ceased on July 6. At least 30 people crossed into Mizoram after the fighting had stopped.
In response, Assam Rifles personnel have sealed the international border to “prevent any untoward incident.” However, unarmed civilians fleeing violence have been permitted entry into India on humanitarian grounds.
The Mizoram government, acting on instructions from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has initiated the process of collecting biometric data of refugees, with children under five exempted.
The conflict reportedly centres around control of Khawmawi, a key commercial town and transit hub linking Myanmar with India. Local sources indicated that four injured cadres were brought to Mizoram for medical treatment.
Efforts for peace are underway, with Mizoram’s largest civil society body, the Committee of Young Mizo Association (CYMA), stepping in to mediate and ensure a ceasefire between the rival groups.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
