Manipur Police Arrest Three, Including a Woman, With Drugs Valued at ₹5 Crore Near Tengnoupal
A joint team of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of Manipur Police and the Assam Rifles arrested three alleged drug smugglers, including a woman, and seized contraband drugs worth around Rs 5 crore in the international illicit market, officials said on Monday.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs about illegal drug trafficking from Churachandpur district, the joint team intercepted a vehicle on January 11, 2026, at a naka checkpoint under Tengnoupal Police Station in Tengnoupal district.
During the operation, three persons travelling in the vehicle were arrested. They were identified as James Baite (28) of Tengnoupal district, Hatneikim Baite (50) of Tengnoupal district, and David T. Mate (41) of Churachandpur district.
Police recovered approximately 5.89 kg of WY tablets, a Mahindra Bolero bearing registration number MZ-01F-5013, three mobile phones, and three Aadhaar cards from their possession.
Officials said the seized tablets bore the marking “WY”, commonly known as “World Is Yours”, a street name associated with yaba, a highly addictive drug containing a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine.
The arrested individuals have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Act, 2023. All seized items and the accused have been handed over to the concerned police station for further legal proceedings, police added.
