Drug trafficking: Tripura CM bats for using modern tech, enhance vigil in border, inter-state boundaries
Tripura is being used as a corridor for drug trafficking from Myanmar as well as Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal to Bangladesh, said Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and added the he strongly batted for introduction of improved technology like Drone and Satellite Imagery Software etc.
Dr. Saha, who among the other Chief Minister of North East states attended a meeting on drugs trafficking as part of 70th Plenary Meeting of North East Council in Guwahati held on October 8th and 9th last, stressed on using technology like drones, allocating more central funds for anti-narcotics capacity building, providing vehicle scanner for proper patrolling on highways and strengthening surveillance on the border to intensify the fight was drugs.
The meeting was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Among others Union Minister of Development of North Eastern Region G Kisan Reddy was present in the meeting.
Dr Saha also demanded setting up of a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) branch in Tripura.
The Chief Minister said, “Tripura is a corridor for Drug trafficking; the drugs come from Myanmar and enter Tripura through Mizoram and Assam and then go to the final destination- Bangladesh. Besides, several contraband cough syrups are being smuggled from UP and West Bengal to Bangladesh via Tripura”.
Dr. Saha while addressing a press conference after returning in Agartala from the Plenary Meeting on Monday, said, “A branch of NCB has been proposed to be set up in Tripura”.
“In Tripura, ganja cultivation has been taking place for a long time. The state government is contemplating a plan to shift the ganja cultivation to any alternative crop. We also asked the NEC to study the possibility of any alternative crop,” the Chief Minister said.
Dr Saha said, Home Minister Amit Shah is serious about ending the drug menace in the North East as well as the whole country. He also highlighted the major achievements and initiatives of the Tripura government in the fight against drugs.
Dr Manik Saha also demanded erecting fencing, forming ‘School Prahari (Sentinel) Group’ and generating awareness among the people using social media platforms.
Besides, Dr Saha told the media, “I have stressed enhancing vigil by BSF jawans along unfenced International Border in Tripura – Also focused on taking proper steps and vehicle checking along the Tripura-Assam and Tripura-Mizoram state boundaries”.
He said, Nesha Mukt Tripura Abhiyan was launched in the State after BJP came to power in 2018 and started scripting success.
“700 vehicles involved in drug trafficking were seized since 2018. A Special Investigating Team (SIT) by the State Government was formed for Anti-Narco Abhiyan – total 19 cases were filed so far. Besides, Tripura Police adopted freezing bank accounts and seizing properties tactics against the accused in 39 cases. As a result, property and cash worth Rs 6 crore 50 lakh and drugs worth Rs 200 crore along with vehicles were seized by the Police”, Dr Saha said.
To curb the drug trafficking, Tripura Government is maintaining close contacts with different central agencies like NCB, ED etc and focusing on capacity building of the Police personnel to better equip them to tackle the drug peddlers and smugglers, Dr Saha told the media.
Tripura Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha and DGP Amitabh Ranjan, who were also present in the NEC Plenary meeting on the first day, also attended the press conference.
Addressing the media today, the DGP said, the NCB highlighted in the meeting that synthetic drugs is being seen as a new and major threat in the country although it is yet to gain ground in Tripura.
He said, under the leadership of the Chief Minister, a narcotics coordination meeting would soon be held in the state; all departments would be brought together. He also said, specialized teams (Anti-Nartotics Task Force) would be formed to deal with the drugs trafficking; they would get connected on a large database for end to end connectivity and identification of syndicates involved in drugs trafficking.
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