Prime Accused in Tripura’s illegal drug trade brought from Kolkata

Prime accused involved in the seizure of drugs worth Rs 5.4 crore recovered from a goods train at Jirania Railway station arriving from Delhi has been brought to Agartala through transit-remand by the Crime Branch of Tripura police on Tuesday.

The Crime Branch on Tuesday brought prime accused, Arun Kumar Ghosh from Nager Bazar area of Kolkata through transit remand and he will be produced before a local court with police remand appeal for interrogation.

Earlier, the Crime Branch arrested another kingpin Rajib Dasgupta (42) on October 30 and brought another accused Himanshu Jha alias Sonu (32) from Delhi on Monday through transit remand.

Police sources said that in connection with the recovery of 1,07,800 bottles of banned ESkuf cough syrup from a goods train at Jirania railway station on October 17, the Anti-Narcotics Wing of the Tripura Police Crime Branch (TPCB) arrested three accused so far.

Police sources added  that, acting on specific Intelligence, a joint team of security forces searched the goods train at Jirania railway station and recovered the banned Eskuf cough syrup, which contains Codeine Phosphate and Triprolidine Hydrochloride substances often misused as narcotics in India, neighbouring Bangladesh, and other countries. The estimated value of the seized drugs in the illegal market is around Rs 5.4 crore, the official added.

The joint operation, conducted by Tripura Police, Assam Rifles, Government Railway Police (GRP), Special Task Force (STF), and the Customs Department, is being described as one of the major successes in the state’s ongoing war against drug trafficking.

The goods train, carrying chicken feed, rice, and other items, had arrived at Jirania railway station from Delhi on October 16. The search operation began that night and continued into the early hours of October 17.

The illegal consignment was found unclaimed and concealed in two wagons alongside other cargo. The seized items have been handed over to the Customs Department for further investigation and legal action.