Agartala, May 25:
In a major push to curb rising crime in the state capital, the New Capital Complex police under West Tripura District Police arrested 13 individuals, including two notorious bike lifters and 11 drug users, during a special operation conducted on Sunday. The crackdown is part of the ongoing efforts to reduce crime rates, particularly drug abuse and vehicle theft, under the directive of Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha and new DGP Anurag Dhankar.
Addressing the media, West Tripura Superintendent of Police (SP) Kiran Kumar said that recent spikes in bike theft incidents in Agartala coincided with the release of Suman Das, a well-known bike lifter, from jail two weeks ago. Acting swiftly, a special surveillance team was formed, which led to Das’s arrest from Radhanagar with a stolen two-wheeler.
Based on his confession, another key bike lifter, Suma Mia, was apprehended from Sonamura in Sepahijala district, along with a motorcycle previously sold by Das. Subsequent investigations led to the recovery of three additional stolen bikes from different locations, including Indranagar, Abhaynagar, and West Pratapgarh.
“We are currently interrogating both suspects, and more arrests from this bike lifting gang are likely. We also expect to recover several other stolen vehicles,” SP Kumar said.
In a parallel crackdown on drug abuse as part of the “Nesha Mukta Tripura” campaign, 11 drug users were arrested from various parts of Agartala. The police official revealed that some of the arrested individuals come from well-known families, while others are in critical condition and require urgent medical care and counseling.
“These individuals will be provided with treatment and rehabilitation support through NGOs and health facilities. Our strategy is to not just go after traffickers and suppliers but also target the users to tackle the issue from both ends,” SP Kumar added.
The latest operation reflects the state government’s renewed commitment to public safety and its zero-tolerance stance on crime and substance abuse. Police have assured that more such coordinated drives will continue to make Tripura safer and drug-free.
