A Special Task Force (STF) of Commercial Department of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) recovered foreign origin cigarettes worth Rs. 5.5 lakh being transported illegally in an express train at Guwahati Railway Station recently.
The train from which the smuggled foreign-made cigarettes were recovered was 15646 Guwahati-Lokmanya Tilak Terminas Express.
Acting on specific information, the STF team led by assistant commercial manager D.J. Barman, conducted search in the train at Guwahati Railway Station leading to recovery of the contraband items, informed NFR chief public relations officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma.
“The team apprehended five persons for trying to transport the goods with false declaration in the Parcel Way Bill,” Sharma informed on Tuesday.
Commercial department had for the first time in Northeast Frontier Railway formed the Special Task Force (STF) on August 13, 2019 as a part of a special initiative for clean and transparent working.
“The STF team will not only check ticketless travel, activities of touts and false declaration of goods being transported but will also keep close vigil on child abuse and human trafficking in railway premises,” Sharma stated further.
Sharma further informed that the team will also sensitise the frontline railway staff in dealing with passengers and ensure proper payment by contractors of Commercial department to their staff.