Shillong, Mar 30: The Meghalaya High Court on Wednesday directed surprise checking of Indian Army and Assam Rifles vehicles in the state to look for illegal transportation of drugs. The directive comes in light of an Army Major from Imphal being implicated in facilitating the transit of drugs across the region.

Hearing a PIL, the Division Bench comprising of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W Diengdoh in its order said, “If what is reported is true, there must also be intelligence reports received by the State in such regard and the Chief Secretary should coordinate with, inter alia, the Army and Assam Rifles, both to make the highest officials aware of the problem and for immediate action being taken.”

“It may also do well for teams of flying army checkers to be deployed along the route to make surprise checks on Army vehicles which are otherwise not subjected to checks by civilian personnel,” it said.

During the hearing, the Amicus Curiae also submitted that since Meghalaya falls within the transit route of drugs emanating from a neighbouring country or going to such neighbouring country, there is a modus operandi which is being followed and, quite alarmingly, recently an Army Major from Imphal had been implicated in facilitating the transit of drugs.

The bench said indeed, the meticulous work done by Amicus Curiae involved visiting Correctional Homes, Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) Centres and discovering from some inmates that for the safe passage of the drugs, high-ranking defence personnel may have been roped in.

“Unbelievable though such an allegation is, it has to be noticed nonetheless that according to the relevant inmate drugs are sometimes transported in army trucks, which are generally immune from checking,” it said.

The bench directed that a copy of the order be reached to the General-Officer Commanding, 101 Area and also to the Director-General, Assam Rifles to verify the position and take immediate remedial action.