One of key kingpins of major illegal drugs trade held in Tripura; police looking for others

Agartala, Oct 31 (IANS) Tripura Police Crime Branch has arrested one of the main kingpins involved in the seizure of drugs worth Rs 5.4 crore recovered from a goods train arriving here from Delhi, officials said on Friday.

A senior police official 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 Rajib Dasgupta (42) on Thursday night.

Dasgupta is one of the key figures in a major drug trafficking racket operating across the Northeastern states. “Another major drug peddler involved in the case is currently absconding. TPCB sleuths are continuing raids to nab the fugitive. Further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend others involved in the illicit transportation and supply network,” the official told the media.

The official said that, acting on specific Intelligence, a joint team of security forces conducted a search of a goods train stationed at Jirania railway station in West Tripura district and recovered 1,07,800 bottles of banned ESkuf cough syrup on October 17.

The ESkuf cough syrup, banned in India, contains Codeine Phosphate and Triprolidine Hydrochloride, substances commonly misused as narcotics in India, neighbouring Bangladesh, and other countries.

The estimated value of the seized drugs is approximately Rs 5.4 crore in the illegal market, the official added.

In one of the major successes against drug trafficking, the Tripura Police, Assam Rifles, Government Railway Police (GRP), Special Task Force (STF), and the Customs Department jointly conducted the operation and seized the consignment of illegal pharmaceutical drugs, the official stated.

After the goods train carrying chicken feed, rice, and other items arrived at Jirania railway station from Delhi on October 16, the search operation commenced and continued into the early hours of October 17. The seized items were found unclaimed and hidden in two wagons alongside other cargo.

The consignment has been handed over to the Customs Department for further investigation and necessary legal action.

Police suspect that the banned ESkuf cough syrup was intended to be smuggled into Bangladesh through clandestine routes.

Assam Rifles, in coordination with other enforcement agencies, continues to remain vigilant and committed to curbing the menace of drug trafficking in the Northeast and safeguarding the region from illegal activities.

With the latest seizure, narcotics worth over Rs 136 crore have been confiscated in separate operations in Tripura in less than three weeks.

Tripura, which shares an 856-km-long border with Bangladesh, is surrounded on three sides by the neighbouring country, making the northeastern state vulnerable to cross-border migration, crime, illegal trade, and smuggling.

Except for some stretches, most parts of the frontier have been fenced to prevent smuggling, trans-border crimes, and illegal infiltration.

Another senior police official said that drugs are often smuggled from Myanmar, transported through Mizoram and southern Assam, and brought to Tripura for further smuggling into neighbouring Bangladesh.

--IANS

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