IMPHAL, Oct 27 ? Moreh, India?s gateway to the South-east Asian countries, has been turning into one of the busiest international bazaars for trading in precious and rare stones ? from rubies to jades and sapphires, official sources said.
Gem and precious stones originated from the South-east Asian countries are being smuggled in to the state through Moreh from the across border and later the goods in demand had been passed through either the two NH 39 and 53 passing in the state or by air from Imphal after smuggling from Moreh. The gem smugglers from across the border have close links with their counterparts in the north-eastern India, Manipur in particular.
Villagers residing along the Chandel district of Manipur bordering Myanmar get precious stones from their Myanmarese counterparts in exchange for medicines, shoes, clothes and automobile parts. These gem items finally reach the Middle-east and other European countries after passing through Guwahati, one of the biggest markets of precious stones in India and Surat, the gem capital of India.
Myanmar is rich in gems, with huge deposits of the world?s rare stones found in the Mogok region in the north of the country. The world?s largest ruby weighing 21,450 carats was found in Kin village near Mogok, while the world?s biggest star sapphire was also found the same area. The biggest pearl of the world is the Myanmarese Pearl, weighing 845 carats. Jade, heavier and brighter than other stones, is also mined in northern Kachin province in Myanmar.
In a major achievement, sleuths of Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB), Manipur seized 19.25 kg of precious stones worth over Rs. 1 crore in the international market from an alleged smuggler in a raid at Luwangshangbam Haotabi village in Imphal East district on Tuesday morning. The smuggler ? Thoudam Thoiba, 35, a resident of Khongman in Imphal East district told the police interrogators that the goods were smuggled in to the state through the counterparts in Myanmar. The seized items consisted of Rubi Pink, Rubi Red, Blue Sapphire, high grade Blue Sapphire and Emerald. The stones were neatly packed in eleven plastic bags and concealed in bags made of cloth.
In this deal, the law protectors sometimes turned into law violators. In August last year, the officer-in-charge of the Moreh police station, Inspector Moirangthem Khogen, along with several accomplices, was caught red-handed while smuggling precious stones worth crores of rupees along the Imphal-Moreh route.
They were nabbed by troops of the 37th Assam Rifles posted at Khudengthabi on the Imphal-Moreh road while bringing in around 400 kilos of precious stones in a Tata 407 mini-truck.
The AR troops, while checking the mini-truck, found 250 kilos of rubies and 150 kilos of sapphires, apart from 75 bottles of imported liquor. The OC, Moreh police station, who was escorting the mini-truck in his official Gypsy, was immediately taken into custody, along with his accomplices, including a woman.