Shillong, Oct 18: Had it not been the alertness of a home guards traffic volunteer, East Khasi Hills District police could have failed to seize heroin worth around Rs 35 lakh from a vehicle bearing Manipur registration at Mawblei here on Wednesday.

One of the three persons in the vehicle was arrested while others managed to escape when the vehicle was detained for violating the traffic rules.

This happened at around 7.10 am when a Bolero (MN 02B 1921) was stopped by a home guard personnel Reganson Kharlor for violating the traffic rules near a petrol pump at Mawblei.

After the vehicle stopped at Mawblei, the three occupants which include a woman came out of the vehicle and started running away. However, Kharlor with the help of local youths managed to apprehend one Seikholen Hoakhip, with a bag containing heroin.

Hoakhip hails from a village in Manipur was later arrested by the police of Madanrting police station.

From his possession, four packets of heroin and some containers weighing 437.13 grams was seized.

Narrating the incident, Kharlor said that he blew his whistle to make the driver of the vehicle stop, but the vehicle with dark window glasses overtook the trucks that he had halted and move ahead of him.

Being suspicious of this movement, Kharlor hailed a private vehicle and sought its assistance to pursue the fleeing bolero from Renault Showroom until Mawblei petrol pump where the Bolero finally stopped.

Kharlor said that on stopping, three persons got out of the vehicle and started running. He immediately got out of the private vehicle and pursued one of the occupants of the car who seemed to be carrying a bag. Along with the assistance of the local youths in the area at the time, the Home Guard volunteer was able to apprehend the man who was carrying a bag which contained yellow powder, suspected to be drugs worth lakhs of rupees.

Kharlor has been deployed with the Madanrting Traffic Branch since 2009.