Narcotics dealer David Kha (centre) who was arrested in the city on Sunday with the seized heroin. Picture by Biju Boro

Aug. 22: In the biggest ever haul of heroin in the city, crime investigation department (CID) sleuths today seized a kg of the narcotic, valued at Rs 1 crore in the international market, and arrested a Manipuri youth, David Kha.

Police said the haul was the biggest ever in the city. The CID hoped to gather leads from Kha and bust the drug-running gang.

Inspector-general of police, CID, S.P. Kar said the sleuths, acting on a tip-off, laid a trap and arrested Kha near the International Hospital on G.S. Road this afternoon.

A team of police officials shadowed Kha from the Panbazar tourist lodge he was staying at and constantly informed the CID personnel waiting on G.S. Road about his movements as he left the lodge along with its two employees at 1.30 pm and moved towards Dispur via Nehru Stadium Road in a vehicle.

When he reached G.S. Road, the CID sleuths and an army official waiting there stopped his vehicle. The CID has also picked up the two tourist lodge employees for interrogation.

Kha, who hails from Senapati district of Manipur, had come to Guwahati yesterday. According to preliminary investigations, the heroin was supposed to be sold to a party in the city. The prospective customer had tested the quality of the heroin last evening.

Kar admitted that there is a big narcotic drugs’ racket and Kha’s arrest would go a long way in helping the police to catch the culprits. He said a special CID team was conducting investigations and interrogating the arrested youths.

Sources said the tip-off was provided by the intelligence wing of the army.

Today’s arrest and heroin haul follows the arrest of NSCN (Khaplang) revenue kilonser Hriipuni Pou from Joyanagar under Dispur police station on August 1. Police later picked up three other leaders of the outfit from different parts of the city. An “unspecified” quantity of heroin had been recovered from Pou, along with 516 rounds of ammunition of AK-47 rifle, an M-20 pistol and 20 rounds of M-20 ammunition.

Pou and his associates were booked under the Arms Act and Unlawful Activities Act. On the basis of Pou confessional statement, police had also picked up former revenue kilonser of NSCN (K) Zulilie Angami from a rented house at Hatigaon. He was subsequently released.

The police raids were based on information that certain section of NSCN (K) leaders have been running a narcotic drugs racket in the city for quite some time.

“Pou was running the racket in a very subtle manner. The possibility of taking help from some Naga students and youths, who are staying in the city in the name of studying in various institutes, cannot be ruled out,” a police official said.

CID officials said they are probing if there is any militant link to today’s heroin haul and Kha.