Tripura’s ruling BJP-led government has intensified anti-drug operations in the last ten days, which led to the recovery of contraband items, including cannabis, heroin, and yaba tablets, across the state recently, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha said Saturday.
As part of an anti-drug operation, the state police, in collaboration with intelligence agencies, seized 896 kilograms of ganja (cannabis), 90,617 bottles of cough syrup, 180 yaba tablets, and 27.78 grams of heroin from various locations, said CM Saha, who also holds the home portfolio.
His comments come just two days after a wagon-load of contraband narcotics was recovered from Jirania in the West Tripura district. During this time, a total of 15 NDPS cases were registered, and 16 accused were arrested.
“Tripura police is committed to making the state free of drugs and bringing all those who are involved in the nexus under the legal system. Our government is working intensively, following a zero-tolerance policy to gift a drug-free future to the youths,” said CM Saha.
Saha said this on the heels of CPI(M) politburo member and Opposition leader Jitendra Chaudhury’s allegation of association of some ruling party leaders and a section of administration in the smuggling of contraband items in the state.
In the meantime, different security forces, including Assam Rifles, have seized drugs in the state within less than three weeks. The estimated value of the seized drugs is over Rs 134.50 crore.
In another operation two days ago, security forces, during their joint operation, seized Rs 4.5 crore worth of drugs on Friday from a goods train that was stationed at Jirania railway station, falling under West Tripura district, said a senior official.
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The official stated that the joint operation team, comprising Assam Rifles, Government Railway Police, Special Task Force, Customs, and state police, searched the goods train and seized 90,000 bottles of banned cough syrup. However, they continued their search to apprehend the prime accused responsible for transporting the cough syrup from Delhi by train.
Earlier on October 6, the Assam Rifles, in collaboration with the Customs officials, recovered Rs. 70 crores worth of contraband items at a bordering area in Khowai district. They have detained four drug smugglers along with these items.
The team seized 69.61 kg of yaba tablets, estimated to be worth nearly Rs 70 crore, after intercepting two trucks loaded with cement.
On the issue, a defence spokesperson said that the operation (October 6) was a follow-up of another operation conducted at the bordering area of Mohanpur in West Tripura district on September 29, where they seized Rs 60 crores worth 60.77 kg yaba tablets.
A police officer said the seized drugs (on September 29 and October 6) might have been transported to Tripura via Mizoram and southern Assam after being smuggled from Myanmar. The smugglers might have smuggled these items to Bangladesh.
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Reacting to the incident of recovery of drugs from a goods train, Jitendra Chaudhury said, “Those who have brought this (train incident), obviously didn’t get the courage to do this in one single day. That means, they regularly brought contraband items and expanded business in Tripura. This would not have been possible without the involvement of some ruling party leaders and a section of the administration. Those who brought this have a big network. The spurt of contraband items is a BJP-RSS political project.”
He also demanded that the state administration determine the source of these items and identify the people involved.
