Pseudoephedrine extraction unit now in Moreh
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 17 2013 : Shedding more light on trafficking of Pseudoephedrine drugs in Manipur with involvement of Army and Police personnel along with some high profile people, a reliable source has confirmed the presence of Pseudoephedrine extraction unit in the border town Moreh.

Pseudoephedrine tablets manufactured by reputed pharmaceutical companies are being smuggled into the State from various parts of the country for trafficking into Myanmar along the National Highway No.2 .

The tablets under the brand name like Respifed, Hot and Cold Hingcop T, Actilab T and Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride contain the chemical substance Pseudoephedrine which is widely used as a narcotic drug.

These tablets with Pseudoephedrine chemical are trafficked in huge quantities into Moreh Town often with involvement of security forces and high profile people.

The tablets are then stocked up at a safe area along the Indo-Myanmar boundary for extraction of Pseudoephedrine chemical using a simple process.

Tablet cover at Lokchao

The source mentioned that more than 100 people are employed in the extraction unit on a daily wage of Rs.300 each just for removing the covers of the tablets.

In order to extract the Pseudoephedrine substance, the tablets are simply boiled in water to which some chemicals are added.

The semi-solid substance that remains after evaporation is said to be pure Pseudoephedrine.

The extracted Pseudoephedrine is then transported into Myanmar in specialized containers.

The source further said that the exact location of this extraction unit cannot be ascertained.

The militant groups having close links with the Assam Rifles are said to be carrying out the extraction process by shifting from one place to another along the Indo-Myanmar border.

The Pseudoephedrine chemical is used to manufacture a deadly drug under the brand name "World is Yours", in short, WY tablets at different mobile manufacturing units located at Kabaw Valley in Myanmar.

WY tablet, which is also known as party drug, is priced up to Rs.1500 per piece and it is exported to India and other South East Asian countries.

The manufacturers of WY tablets do not hesitate to buy the tablets with Pseudoephedrine chemical even at Rs.50 per tablet from Moreh.

The one kilometre-long canal of Lokchao River, which runs along the Indo-Myanmar border, has been filled with the covers of these tablets raising serious environmental concerns.

The covers are also burned at the river bank near Moreh College, SDO Office and Power House causing health hazards to the residents.

It may be noted that a team of Earth Science Department of Manipur University recently found a dumping ground for large quantity of tablet covers at Moreh during a geological field work.