As many as 28 ‘Kenbo bikes’ were seized as Manipur Police launched a special drive against use of illegally imported foreign motorbikes and other vehicles in the state.
China-made Kenbo bikes, very popular in the neighbouring country Myanmar, are also in high demand in the hill districts of Manipur bordering Myanmar.
Kenbo bikes are said to be illegally sold in the black market and seen widespread in the interior hill areas without registration numbers. The ban came amid the reports of using these bikes for cross-border smuggling.
An official source said that so far, the police seized as many as 28 ‘Kenbo bikes’ during drives launched at the border districts of Kamjong and Churachandpur districts.
“So far, Churachandpur police have apprehended 26 illegal Kenbo bikes altogether (mainly used by drug smugglers and poppy planters) and the bikes were handed over to the customs department,” chief minister N Biren Singh wrote in one of his Facebook posts on March 19.
The seized ‘Kenbo bikes’ are kept at a government godown at Langthabal Lep Chingning in Imphal West district.
“No papers, nothing, all the bikes were brought from Myanmar,” he further wrote.
Several Kenbo bikes illegally brought from Myanmar to be used mainly for transportation of poppy seeds and drugs in the narrow and stiff terrains have been seized.
So far, as many as 26 Kenbo bikes at Churachandpur, 4 at Saikul and more in Moreh were seized. pic.twitter.com/I6ogIw69Ll
— N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) March 19, 2023
In another post, the chief minister informed that two illegal ‘Kenbo bikes’ (mainly used by poppy planters and drug smugglers) from Myanmar were seized by Kamjong district on March 18.
One of the bikes was seized from Kamjong town while the other from Kasom Khullen area, a police source said.
In the border town of Moreh too, police have also started the drive against the use of these bikes and other vehicles of foreign origins.
Several foreign bikes including ‘Kenbo’ were seized, the police source added.
