Agartala, July 2: Tripura recorded a 102 per cent increase in narcotics seizures in 2025 compared to the previous year, with drugs worth around ₹1,600 crore confiscated, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Tinku Roy said on Thursday.
Addressing a state-level programme organised to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Roy said the sharp rise in seizures reflected intensified enforcement following the state’s adoption of a zero-tolerance policy against drug trafficking.
“Those involved in illicit trafficking will not be tolerated. Stringent action has been taken after adopting the zero-tolerance policy. Narcotic substances are being seized in different parts of the state, which shows that various government agencies are working together to curb drug trafficking,” the minister said.
Roy stated that narcotics worth about ₹800 crore were seized in 2024, while the value of seizures doubled to approximately ₹1,600 crore in 2025, representing a 102 per cent increase.
He also said that more than 1,000 narcotics-related cases had been registered in the state over the past three years and claimed that the conviction rate in such cases had improved due to stronger investigation and prosecution.
Highlighting the government’s anti-drug campaign, the minister said more than 15 lakh ganja saplings were destroyed across the state during 2024 as part of efforts to curb the cultivation of illegal cannabis.
Expressing concern over changing drug trends, Roy said Tripura, which was once primarily considered a transit corridor for narcotics, had increasingly become a consumer market, making the challenge more complex and requiring stronger preventive and enforcement measures.
He said the government had launched several initiatives to make Tripura a drug-free state, including expanding rehabilitation facilities for addicts. A 200-bed de-addiction hospital is being established in Sepahijala district, while eight additional de-addiction centres, each with a capacity of 50 beds, are also under construction in different parts of the state.
The minister stressed the importance of sports and physical activities in preventing substance abuse among young people. Encouraging youth participation in sports, he said constructive engagement could help steer them away from drugs and other harmful activities.
Roy also said the government was simultaneously addressing other social challenges, including child marriage, and noted that reporting of such cases had increased, reflecting greater public awareness.
The programme was attended by West Tripura District Magistrate Dr Vishal Kumar, Superintendent of Police Namit Pathak, West Tripura Zilla Parishad Acting Sabhadipati Biswajit Sil, Tripura Commission for Women Chairperson Jharna Debbarma, Tripura Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Jayanti Debbarma, and senior officials from various departments.
