Shillong, July 24: In one of the biggest seizures of heroin in Shillong city, 529 grams of heroin was seized by the Anti-Narcotic Task Force (ANTF) of East Khasi Hills District, from Madanrting area.

The heroin was seized from a rented house on Tuesday, and arrested a Manipuri woman in this connection.

East Khasi Hills district Superintendent of Police, Claudia A. Lyngwa said that this was one of the biggest seizures worth over Rs 1 crore.

The accused was identified as Kim Neikhol Khongsai (49) and booked her under 21 (C) of the NDPS Act.

Stating police are going all out to nab hardcore suppliers in a bid to cut off supply of drugs, Lyngwa said that from now onwards, action will be taken against house owners and hotel owners whose premises were used for sale of drugs.

“As per the NDPS Act, if you (house owners) are allowing their premises for the sale of drugs, you are liable for punishment. Therefore, we are going to hit the house owners as well,” she said.

Section 25 of the NDPS Act states: “Punishment for allowing premises, etc., to be used for commission of an offence. Whoever, being the owner or occupier or having the control or use of any house, room, enclosure, space, place, animal or conveyance, knowingly permits it to be used for the commission by any other person of an offence punishable under any provision of this Act, shall be punishable with the punishment provided for that offence.”

The SP also expressed concern over the difficulty faced by the law enforcers in getting eye witnesses for seizing drugs as some of headmen and people were not willing to extend support to police.

She informed that in the present case at Madanrting, it took police about three hours to get somebody as witness while seizing the heroin.

“The society has to be a little bit responsible by cooperating with the police. We request headmen and the village defense party (VDP) to also assist us as witnesses since the NDPS Act does not allow seizure to be done only by the police,” Lyngwa said.

She also appealed to people to come forward and extend their full support to the police in eradicating drug menace which is increasing at an alarming rate and directly affecting the heart of the society in the state.

Lyngwa also said that police are also using narcotic dogs to detect drugs besides intensifying checking of vehicles entering the city. “We are hitting the supply scene by targeting big time drug suppliers,” she informed.