MLA's son arrested over Manipur drug haul case

The son of a Manipur Member of Assembly was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the recent drug haul in the state. A Colonel-rank Defence Public Relations officer and five others were held for allegedly transporting illicit drugs estimated at over Rs 24 crore for smuggling to Myanmar, said the police.

Seikholen Haokip, the son of a ruling Congress MLA, was arrested from his house at Deulaland near Imphal, in connection with the drug haul, said Superintendent of Police, Thoubal district, A K Jhaljit.

Four bundles of contraband were recovered from his house during a police raid.

Haokip would be produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate for further remand in police custody.

The arrest of Haokip followed the intense interrogation of Colonel Ajay Chaudhury, his assistant R K Babalu, assistant manager of Indigo Airlines Ngairangbam Brojendro Singh and three others -- Haopu Haokip, Ningthang Doungel and Minlal Haokip, who were arrested on February 24 near Pallel police outpost, on their way to border town of Moreh, about 120 km from Imphal.

Sources said Chaudhury had told his interrogators that he was not involved in the case and that he felt ‘cheated’ by some people known to him.