Tripura Youth Congress launched a mass letter campaign to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, protesting narcotics transportation via Delhi-Tripura goods trains. The move follows the seizure of banned Eskuf cough syrup worth ₹5.4 crore at Jirania railway station.
the Tripura Youth Congress has launched a state-wide mass letter campaign addressed to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, demanding action against those responsible for the transportation of banned drugs through goods trains.
The campaign follows the October 17 seizure of 1,07,800 bottles of banned Eskuf cough syrup from a Delhi-Tripura goods train that arrived at Jirania railway station in West Tripura. The consignment, reportedly worth ₹5.4 crore, was hidden among goods such as rice and chicken feed.
Tripura Youth Congress President Neel Kamal Saha said the letter campaign began centrally from Agartala on Sunday and would soon expand to every block and locality across the state. “We have started sending mass letters to the Railway Minister from Agartala. Similar letters will be dispatched from each block and locality in the next few days,” Saha told the media.
According to Saha, the Youth Congress plans to send over 10,000 letters in the coming days. The letters accuse certain ruling BJP leaders of colluding with “dishonest traders and drug peddlers” to turn Tripura into a drug-smuggling corridor, using railway networks for illegal transport.
“These drug peddlers are not ordinary traders. They are big operators with close links to a section of ruling BJP leaders. The police are hesitant to arrest these powerful figures,” Saha alleged. The Youth Congress demanded a high-level probe and the arrest of all individuals involved in the racket.
Major Arrests and Investigation Progress
Amid growing public outrage, the Tripura Police Crime Branch (TPCB) on October 31 arrested Rajib Dasgupta (42), identified as one of the main kingpins behind the massive narcotics seizure. A senior police official confirmed that Dasgupta is linked to a major drug trafficking network operating across the Northeastern states.
“Another key drug peddler involved in the case is currently absconding. TPCB teams are conducting raids to nab the fugitive,” the official said.
The police official further revealed that the operation at Jirania railway station was based on specific intelligence inputs. A joint team of Tripura Police, Assam Rifles, Government Railway Police (GRP), Special Task Force (STF), and the Customs Department conducted the search, leading to the recovery of the banned Eskuf cough syrup.
The seized cough syrup contains Codeine Phosphate and Triprolidine Hydrochloride, substances often misused as narcotics in India and smuggled to Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries. The consignment was unclaimed and concealed in two wagons of the goods train.
Drug Seizure: A Growing Menace in Tripura
Tripura has been witnessing a rising trend of cross-border drug trafficking, with narcotics often being smuggled from other Indian states or through routes leading to Bangladesh. The October 17 seizure is considered one of the biggest operations in Tripura’s ongoing fight against drug smuggling.
Police sources said the goods train had arrived at Jirania from Delhi on October 16, carrying chicken feed, rice, and other cargo. The search began late at night and continued into the early hours of October 17. The banned Eskuf bottles were found hidden and unclaimed, raising suspicion of a well-organized smuggling network.
Authorities suspect that the narcotics were destined for illegal cross-border trade, given the pattern of previous seizures where cough syrups and synthetic drugs were smuggled through Tripura-Bangladesh border routes.
Youth Congress Steps Up Anti-Drug Campaign
The Youth Congress’ letter drive has drawn attention to the growing public frustration over drug trafficking and alleged political complicity. “We want accountability. The railways cannot be used as a channel for illegal narcotics trade,” said Saha, urging the Railway Minister to ensure stricter surveillance and better coordination between Railway Police and local law enforcement agencies.
The initiative, described as part of a larger anti-drug awareness movement, seeks to pressure both the Railway Ministry and state administration to take strong measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
While the Tripura government has intensified its crackdown on narcotics in recent years, opposition parties, including the Congress, allege that corruption and political patronage continue to shield high-level offenders.
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| Also Read: Tripura Police arrests kingpin in ₹5.4 crore Drug Smuggling |
As the Youth Congress campaign gains momentum across the state, it has reignited debates over drug abuse, political accountability, and security lapses in railway operations. Whether the Centre will respond to the mass appeal remains to be seen.
