A joint operation by the 48 Battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF) along with the Khowai Police (Tripura) led to a major drug haul – marijuana (ganja) worth Rs 5 lakh was recovered on Saturday from two vehicles from the bordering Shingichara area. The joint operation was carried out based on a secret tip-off.
This is the second incident of seizure of drugs and contraband in Tripura in less than 12 hours. Earlier, the East Agartala Police seized 3,000 bottles of Phensedyl meant to be smuggled to Bangladesh and arrested three persons in this connection.
The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Khowai Police Station Krishnadhan Sarkar informed, “The 48 Battalion of the BSF got information from its Intelligence wing that two vehicles loaded with ganja from the Agartala side were moving towards Kamalpur and, accordingly, they laid an ambush. The BSF information proved to be correct and one Scorpio and another TATA Sumo loaded with ganja was passing through the Shinghichara area and the joint team made a surprise attack on them. We recovered 80 kg of ganja from one vehicle and 60 kg from another taking the total seized drugs to 140 kg. We shall file a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.”
Due to specific and actionable inputs being provided by the Intelligence branch of BSF regularly, the Tripura Police and BSF have been successful in making major ‘drug bust’. Several contraband items like ganja, Phensedyl, illegal liquor, yaba tablets, etc., are being seized on a regular basis.
The BSF is also making all-out efforts to curb smuggling activities by educating the border populace (on not to indulge in smuggling activities) and keeping a hawk eye across the Indo-Bangla border. The new Bharatiya Janata Party-Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (BJP-IPFT) Government in Tripura is pulling out all stops to make the State a drug-free one.