1. Tripura Police show progress in battling drug peddling in 2023.
2. Rise in arrests observed in Sepahijala district.
3. District’s proximity to Bangladesh makes it a hotspot for drug smuggling.
Agartala, Nov 30: Tripura Police are making significant strides in the fight against drug peddling, witnessing an uptick in arrests in the Sepahijala district in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Sepahijala district, which shares a major portion of its border with Bangladesh, has been a key area for drug smuggling operations.
Superintendent of Police for Sepahijala district, Bogati Jagadeeswar Reddy, reported that the number of registered drug cases in 2022 was 596, while in 2023, the count reached 630 by November.
Emphasizing the administration’s crackdown on drug dealers, SP Reddy noted that the intensified efforts resulted in an almost 15 percent increase in NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) cases, surging from 100 in 2022 to 114 by November 2023.
“Various anti-narcotics operations in Sepahijala district led to the seizure of approximately 69,000 units of drugs such as cough syrup in 2022. In 2023, the police confiscated 1.12 lakh banned cough syrup bottles worth approximately 8 crores,” mentioned the SP.
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The prevalence of Yaba tablets also witnessed a substantial increase from around 1 lakh 33 thousand in 2022 to about 2 lakh 13 thousand in 2023.
“Simultaneously, there is an ongoing campaign to eradicate ganja plantations throughout the district. As a result, this year, like the previous one, approximately 15 thousand kg of cannabis has been seized, besides destroying 13 lakh ganja plantations till November this year. Similarly, the seizure of brown sugar, another drug, has increased from 157 grams in 2022 to 227 grams this year,” added the SP.
