Tripura Police vows to make state drug-free after Rs 2.36 crore banned cough syrup haul
Agartala, July 3 (IANS) Tripura Police are firmly committed to eliminating the drug menace and making the state drug-free, senior officials said on Friday, after the recovery of a huge consignment of banned cough syrups worth over Rs 2.36 crore from the Deoghar Express at Agartala Railway Station after the train arrived from Bihar.
Inspector General of Police (Intelligence and Security) Krishnendu Chakraborty, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Manchak Ipper, along with other senior police officials, visited Agartala Railway Station and closely supervised the procedures related to the seizure of around 40,000 bottles (100 ml each) of Eskuf Cough Syrup and Fairdyl Cough Syrup.
The cough syrups, which are frequently abused as narcotic substances, represent the second-largest seizure of such an illegal consignment in Tripura after a major haul in October last year.
Eskuf Cough Syrup and Fairdyl Cough Syrup contain Codeine Phosphate and Triprolidine Hydrochloride, substances that are frequently misused as narcotic drugs in India as well as in neighbouring Bangladesh and some other countries.
IGP (Intelligence and Security) Krishnendu Chakraborty said that the Tripura Police, under the leadership of Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag, is resolutely committed to eliminating the drug menace and making the state drug-free.
“Though Thursday’s seizure from the train is the second-largest recovery of banned cough syrup in Tripura, the state police have consistently taken action against the illegal trade and transportation of narcotics and other contraband, including ganja (marijuana),” the senior IPS officer told the media.
Reiterating the unwavering commitment of the Tripura Police to make the state free from narcotic drugs, he said that all necessary legal proceedings are underway and those involved in the racket would be brought to justice.
IGP (Law and Order) Manchak Ipper also asserted that no one connected with the seizure of the huge consignment of banned cough syrup would be spared.
Tripura Police Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Rajdeep Deb said that, in a major crackdown on narcotics trafficking, a consignment of 39,345 bottles of suspected contraband Eskuf Cough Syrup and Fairdyl Cough Syrup was intercepted in the parcel van of the Deoghar Express at Agartala Railway Station.
He said that during inspection, the bottles were found ingeniously concealed inside around 80 sealed metal drums, indicating a well-planned attempt to evade detection.
According to the CPRO, the operation was jointly carried out by the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF).
Officials of the Assam Rifles claimed that personnel of the paramilitary force and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) were also involved in the seizure operation.
Another police official said that a formal letter has been sent to the Parcel Commercial Superintendent, Agartala Railway Station, seeking details of the consignor and consignee, railway receipt, train movement and other relevant records to facilitate the investigation.
He said that the parcel van coach was booked from Katihar in Bihar to Agartala on June 29 and was attached to the Deoghar Express passenger train, which reached Agartala Railway Station on July 1, following which the cough syrup consignment was detected and seized.
One person, identified as Subrata Deb (34), has been arrested so far. Deb, reportedly the manager of a private business firm in Tripura’s Khowai district, had allegedly arrived at Agartala Railway Station, located on the outskirts of the state capital, to take delivery of the illegal consignment.
On October 17 last year, the Tripura Police Crime Branch (TPCB), with the assistance of other security agencies, had seized a huge consignment of banned Eskuf cough syrup worth around Rs 5.4 crore from a goods train. The goods train, carrying chicken feed, rice and other commodities, had arrived at Jirania Railway Station in West Tripura from Delhi on October 16. Several persons, including Rajib Dasgupta (42), identified as one of the principal kingpins of the racket, were arrested in connection with the case.
A senior police official had then said that Dasgupta was a key figure in a major drug trafficking network operating across several northeastern states.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and other security agencies have, on several occasions, seized narcotics and other contraband, including ganja (marijuana), from trains operating between Tripura and different parts of the country, underscoring the increasing misuse of the railway network by smugglers for transporting illegal substances.
–IANS
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