Drugs valued at 60 crore seized in Tripura

The Assam Rifles have seized drugs worth over Rs 60 crore and arrested one person in Tripura, officials said on Monday.

A defence spokesman said that in a decisive crackdown on the menace of narcotics, a successful operation was carried out at bordering Mohanpur areas of west Tripura district.

He said that acting on credible intelligence, troops swiftly intercepted a major consignment, foiling an attempt by drug peddlers to exploit the festive atmosphere of Durga Puja for smuggling highly addictive methamphetamine tablets, also known as Yaba tablets, into the state.

The operation led to the recovery of 60.77 kg of banned methamphetamine tablets worth Rs 60 crore.

The success was made possible by the speedy response, precise intelligence and effective execution, which prevented the narcotics from reaching their intended networks, the spokesman added.

He said that this achievement once again underlines the relentless commitment of the 'Sentinels of the North East' to curb the illegal drug trade and safeguard the youth from this dangerous menace during Durga puja celebrations.

A police official said that the drugs smuggled from Myanmar and through Mizoram and Assam were brought to Tripura to smuggle to neighbouring Bangladesh.

Tripura, which has an 856 km border with Bangladesh, is surrounded on three sides by the neighbouring country, making the Northeastern state vulnerable and sensitive to cross-border migration, various crimes, illegal trade and movement issues.

Except for some patches, most of the frontier had been fenced to prevent smuggling, trans-border crimes, cross-border illegal movements by infiltrators and inimical elements.

Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha said that various law-enforcing agencies have arrested 248 persons for illegal drug consumption and also apprehended 2,729 drug peddlers during the last three financial years.

The Chief Minister, while replying to queries from Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman and CPI-M legislator Sudip Sarkar in the state Assembly, had said that besides arresting 2,729 drugs peddlers during the last three financial years (2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25), the security agencies are now looking for 28 more illegal drugs sellers, who are now absconding.

CM Dr Saha, who also holds the Home Department portfolio, in a written reply, said that under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, the conviction rate was 11.7 per cent in 2022 and 2023 and five per cent in 2024.

Following the order of the courts, the High Level Drug Disposal Committee and State Level Drug Disposal Committee destroyed and burnt down the seized drugs in pre-notified places, the Chief Minister said.