Agartala, Nov 24, 2024, By Our Correspondent
In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, Assam Rifles, in collaboration with Customs officials, seized one kilogram of Crystal Methamphetamine tablets, commonly known as Yaba tablets, worth Rs 16 crore. The operation took place in Badharghat, on the outskirts of Agartala, Tripura, on Sunday.
Acting on a tip-off, the joint team conducted an operation in the Badharghat area. Upon sensing the presence of security personnel, the drug peddlers fled, abandoning the contraband. Officials confirmed that the seized drugs were smuggled from Myanmar and transported through Mizoram and southern Assam before reaching Tripura. The consignment was intended to be smuggled into Bangladesh, where Yaba tablets are in high demand among drug users.
An Assam Rifles official emphasized the paramilitary force's dedication to combating drug trafficking and curbing illegal smuggling activities in the region.
Tripura, along with Mizoram and southern Assam, forms a crucial corridor for drug smuggling from Myanmar, which shares a 1,643-km porous border with northeastern states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram. These states often witness the influx of various drugs, including heroin and methamphetamine, into India.
This operation follows another significant seizure on November 20 in Mizoram, where Assam Rifles and state police confiscated 28.520 kg of Methamphetamine tablets, 52 grams of heroin worth Rs 85.95 crore, and a foreign pistol from Zokhawthar, a border village near Myanmar. Two Myanmar nationals were apprehended in connection with that operation.
Authorities reiterated their commitment to dismantling drug networks and preventing the northeastern region from becoming a hub for illicit trade.