In a significant step towards giving teeth to the excise department in its fight against organized drug trafficking and bootlegging, the state government has issued assortment of 64 firearms to excise personnel. This was disclosed by Nagaland commissioner of excise, Maongwati Aier to media persons Monday.

The latest move to arm the excise personnel followed almost forty nine years since the establishment of state excise department in 1963. The fire arms issued included 17 sten guns and 47 .303 rifles.

Aier expressed confident that with the possession of these firearms, the excise personnel would be able to perform their duties efficiently. “With the possession of fire arms, excise personnel would definitely increase the efficiency in detection as well as in the enforcement of drugs and liquor in the inter-state check gates”, Aier added.

He said that the excise personnel have also completed training on the use of firearms at 173 CRPF camp. The arms would be issued to the personnel next month, Aier added.

He said initially the firearms would be issued to excise personnel of Dimapur and Kohima on an experimental basis. To maintain discipline, the excise department has also begun issuing uniforms to all department drivers in the district, Aier said.

On detection of drugs and liquor, officials from Narcotic Control Bureau Eastern Zone  (NCB-EZ) had also imparted training to all the excise personnel in the state, the excise commissioner disclosed.

He further said narcotic and excise cell were maintaining a good rapport with CRPF, Assam Rifles, police and district administration for precise detection of illegal drugs and liquor network.

Aier also lauded his personnel for maintaining a strong intelligence network in the state particularity in the inter-state check gates with Manipur and Assam.

It may be recalled that Aier who took over as the new commissioner of excise on August 1, 2011, observing the problems faced by the department, had forwarded a proposals to planning and excise minister and the state chief secretary for modernization, deployment of man power and authorization for the use of firearms by excise personnel.
Drugs worth Rs. 75 L seized

 In a major haul, personnel of narcotic and excise cell manning Khuzama check gate (inter-state check gate) seized drugs worth around Rs. 75 lakh (street value) and arrested one person.

According to commissioner of excise, Maongwati Aier personnel of narcotic and excise intercepted an Imphal bound night super bus (MN 01-1697) and recovered 1,0,36,80 capsules of spasmo proxyvon at Khuzama check gate Sunday at around 4.30 a.m. The arrested person has been identified as Nizamuddin (50) of Lakhimpur district Assam.

The contraband drugs were found concealed inside six bags of dry chillies. The excise commissioner told media persons at his office that the contraband was brought from Silchar in Assam and was to be transported to Imphal, Manipur.

The drugs were seized by excise team led by Tiameren AIE i/c, Ikiho head constable, constables -- Saka, Pangjung, Khumeng, Kuputoo and lady constable, Merila.

Meanwhile, Aier also disclosed that during the current year, excise personnel have arrested more than 700 persons and detected 700 cases.