Banned party drugs worth Rs 400 crore seized in Manipur
Imphal: In one of the largest drug seizures in Manipur, the police have seized banned party drugs worth Rs 400 crore in the international market from Thoubal district, a senior police officer said on Sunday. Acting on a tip-off, a police team with the help of local civil associations detained a mini truck at Phoudel Keirambi Makha area of Thoubal district on Saturday, Superintendent of Police, Thoubal, S Ibomcha Singh said. The seized truck was brought to the Thoubal police station. During search of the truck the police recovered 40 lakh contraband amphetamine-based World is Yours (WY) tablets, populary known as party drug, valued at Rs 400 crore in the international market, the SP said. “The red-coloured tablets were kept concealed underneath carpets in the mini truck,” Singh said, adding that the drugs were smuggled in from Myanmar. The truck driver Md Hussain was arrested. Based on the information provided by Hussain police arrested a Myanmarese national Kyaw Kyaw Naing from Imphal Airport and two other persons, he said. Naing is suspected to be an international drug dealer, police said. The police had earlier bused busted a heroin manufacturing factory and seized 183 kg of drugs worth over Rs 160 crore in international market from Moijing Awang Leikai area of Thoubal district on August 17. In June this year, the police had busted a similar drug manufacturing unit at Lilong Turel area of Thoubal district and had seized 111 kg of heroin and brown sugar worth Rs 100 crore in the international market. (PTI)
Researchers at IIT-Guwahati develop lab grown meat
New Delhi: Researchers at IIT-Guwahati have developed lab grown meat, which is nutritious and will be a step towards cruelty-free food. Lab-grown meat will open new vistas towards cruelty-free food thereby saving the environment as well as the animals, said Dr Biman B Mandal of IIT-Guwahati. In Biomaterial and Tissue Engineering laboratory, researchers have developed a novel technique formulated and patented for production of meat which is completely natural, he said. “The taste of the final meat product will remain similar as raw meat but with improvised nutritional values as per customer needs. “Usage of external chemicals like hormones, animal serum, growth factors or antibiotics have been restricted in this preparation, hence it is safe on ethical concerns,” Mandal said. Owing to the rapid increase in population, the meat industry has been facing immense pressure in keeping up with the food requirements, he said. Citing predictions from the UN population prospects, Mandal said the current meat industry will not be able to meet the global needs by 2050. Around 4,000 litres of water are required to produce one kg chicken meat and more than 8,000 litres of water are required to produce one kg of mutton, he said. The livestock industry contributes to waste water and more greenhouse gas emissions than all of the world’s transport combined. Moreover, billions of animals are killed each year for meat, he said. (PTI)