Assam Rifles, Customs, DRI seize drugs valued at Rs 24 crore in Tripura, one held

In a major haul of drugs, the Assam Rifles, along with other law enforcing agencies, have seized highly addictive methamphetamine tablets valued at over Rs 24 crore in Tripura in two separate incidents in the last 24 hours and arrested one person, officials said on Thursday.

A defence spokesman said that based on specific intelligence, a joint team of Assam Rifles and Customs officials recovered unclaimed baggage aboard Agartala-bound Shatabdi Express at Ambassa in Tripura’s Dhalai district on Wednesday night and found over 1,50,000 methamphetamine tablets, also known as Yaba tablets, valued at Rs 15 crore, in it.

The seized contraband has been handed over to Customs for further legal proceedings.

In the second incident, the Assam Rifles in coordination with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted a goods truck loaded with cement bags coming from Shillong at Teliamura in Tripura’s Khowai district.

Following a thorough inspection, 90,000 methamphetamine tablets, worth Rs 9 crore, were recovered from the truck.

One man, a resident of Belonia in South Tripura district, was apprehended.

The recovered contraband and the apprehended individual were handed over to the DRI for further legal action.

The spokesman said that the Assam Rifles has conducted 21 operations in Tripura since January leading to the recovery of contraband valued at Rs 95.56 crore.

An official statement said that these successful interdictions are part of Assam Rifles' ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and align with the state government's mission of a ‘Nasha Mukt’ (drugs-free) Tripura.

The security forces have been conducting large-scale anti-drug operations in the state which is indicative of busting the cross-border drug cartels and significantly cutting down the drug trade.

Assam Rifles, in collaboration with sister agencies, remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantling narcotics networks and ensuring a safer Tripura, the statement said.

After Mizoram and Manipur, Tripura and Assam have become crucial corridors of drug smuggling. Various drugs after being smuggled from Myanmar, come to Tripura via Mizoram and Assam, en route to neighbouring Bangladesh.

Myanmar, which shares a 1,643 km unfenced border with four northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram -- serves as a key transit point for drugs, particularly heroin and methamphetamine tablets, entering India.                               From the northeastern states, these drugs are further smuggled into Bangladesh, which shares a 1,880 km border with Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Assam (263 km). While a significant portion of the India-Bangladesh border is fenced, the India-Myanmar border remains entirely open, facilitating illicit trafficking.