Agartala, Oct 29 : Tripura Police seized 17 packets of dry cannabis worth an estimated Rs 50 lakh from a goods-carrying vehicle in North Tripura district and arrested its driver on charges of drug trafficking, officials said on Thursday.
The seizure was made late Tuesday night at the Naka check gate under Kadamtala police station following a specific intelligence input, they said.
Police personnel deployed at the checkpoint intercepted an Assam-bound Bolero pickup vehicle bearing registration number TR01AR-1642 and conducted a thorough search on suspicion that it was carrying contraband.
Dharmanagar Sub-Divisional Police Officer Jayanta Karmakar, DCM Suman Das, forensic experts and personnel from Kadamtala police station reached the spot to assist in the operation and investigation.
During the search, police discovered a specially designed concealed compartment inside the vehicle’s body. Seventeen packets of dry cannabis of varying sizes were recovered from the hidden chamber, officials said.
The contraband was seized in the presence of officials and witnesses.
The driver, identified as Kishan Ghosh, 29, a resident of the East Pratapgarh area of Subhashnagar in Agartala, was taken into custody along with the vehicle.
During preliminary questioning, the accused allegedly told investigators that the cannabis had been loaded near the Khayerpur bypass area in Agartala and was intended to be transported to neighbouring Assam, police sources said.
Kadamtala police station Sub-Inspector Manoj Kumar Pal confirmed the seizure, stating that the operation was conducted on the basis of confidential information.
He said the estimated black-market value of the seized cannabis was around Rs 50 lakh.
Police have registered a case under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and launched a detailed investigation into the alleged trafficking operation.
Investigators are trying to establish the source of the contraband, identify its intended recipients and determine whether other people were involved in transporting the consignment.
The police are also examining the vehicle’s concealed compartment and other evidence to establish the circumstances surrounding the suspected smuggling attempt.
Investigators are probing whether the arrested driver was acting alone or was part of a larger drug trafficking network operating between Tripura and Assam.
The seizure is part of the ongoing efforts to curb the transportation of narcotic substances through the state, officials said.
Further details are awaited as the investigation progresses.
