NEW DELHI/IMPHAL: The Army has been rocked by a series of corruption and discipline cases in recent years, with land, liquor, meat, cereal, petrol and other scams involving even general-rank officers. But its reputation sunk to a new low on Sunday when a lieutenant-colonel was arrested with five others for trying to allegedly smuggle illegal drugs into Myanmar.

Lt-Col Ajay Chaudhary (49), posted as the defence public relations officer at Imphal since January 2011, and the five others were detained by police in Pallel area of the Thoubal police district of Manipur around 7 am.

“Their three vehicles, two Boleros and a Tata Safari , were packed to the roof with pseudoephedrine and other tablets estimated to be worth around Rs 24 crore. The Bolero in which the Army officer was travelling had a sticker of ‘PRO Defence’,’’ an official said.

The vehicles were headed towards Moreh, the town on the border with Myanmar, where such drugs are in huge demand as “speed drugs’’, when they were intercepted by the police. The other five accused were identified as N Brojendro, an assistant manager of Indigo Airlines posted at Imphal airport, R K Babloo (25), a Territorial Army jawan and three tribals — H Haokip (28), Minlal Haokip (25) and M Doungel (29).

The Army said “strictest possible action’’ would be taken against Lt-Col Chaudhary, a Bihar Regiment officer, if he was found guilty. “The matter is being investigated. It’s a civil offence. When he is produced before a magistrate, we will examine whether we want to take him into our custody or not. We are waiting for the full report,’’ said a senior officer.

Lt-Col Chaudhary, however, denied his involvement in any drug racket, telling reporters that he was “shocked’’ to see the drug packets inside the vehicles since he was just helping a businessman whom he knew. As the Imphal PRO, the officer comes under the defence ministry’s directorate of public relations. Before January 2011, he was posted with the Army’s newly-raised division headquartered in Lekhapani in Assam.

Thoubal district SP Jhaljit Singh said investigation was in progress. “The accused will be produced in court on Monday,’’ he said.

The drama began around 7 am when a Manipur police team led by an inspector, acting on a specific tip-off, waylaid the three vehicles near Pallel bazar. After Lt-Col Chaudhary initially refused to alight from his vehicle, the police team sought the help of a police commando unit stationed nearby in the town.

The commandos then forced the three vehicles to their complex and conducted a search that led to the recovery of 31 packets of pseudoephedrine and other tablets, which are used to treat nasal and sinus congestion.

The police said the drug haul – which included tablets of Respifed, Omkop, Hilcold, Polyfed and Actidin -- was the biggest in the state in recent times. Drug-trafficking experts said a huge quantity of pseudoephedrine and other drugs were also being smuggled to the notorious ‘Golden Triangle’ of south-east Asia for use in the manufacturing of heroine.

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