The Railway Protection Force (RPF) recovered addictive substances from Agartala bound Mumbai-Agartala train (Train No. 12520) at Jirania in Tripura on December 31.
The RPF arrested a young man and seized a large cache of Yaba tablets worth Rs 50 lakh from him.
The incident occurred on the evening of December 31, when the RPF officers, acting on a tip-off, initiated a routine search of the train after it arrived at Badarpur station.
However, despite thorough search and checks, no drugs were found at that stage.
As the train continued its journey, RPF personnel continued their vigilant scanning of the passengers and cargo.
Upon reaching Jirania station near Agartala in Tripura, the RPF jawans identified a young man, later identified as Babu Haradhan, who was behaving suspiciously. The officers, suspecting him, detained him for questioning.
A subsequent search of his bag led to the discovery of 200 packets of Yaba tablets, a highly addictive drug that is often smuggled into the region from neighboring countries.
The seized drugs, according to RPF sources, have a black market value of over Rs 50 lakh.
The arrested individual, Babu Haradhan is reported to be a resident of Udaipur under the Gomati District in Tripura, He is currently in RPF custody and is undergoing intense interrogation.
Sources indicate that the authorities are seeking to gather more information on the origins of the drugs, as well as the individuals or networks involved in the illegal drug trade.
The security personnel are particularly keen on uncovering the route through which the Yaba tablets were brought into the country and who they were intended for.
The RPF has assured that legal proceedings will follow, and Haradhan will face charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. This arrest is part of a larger effort by the authorities to clamp down on the growing drug trafficking problem in the region.
Local officials have lauded the RPF for their swift action and vigilance, which led to the successful operation.
Notably, the State and Central Governments have accorded priority in curbing the drug menace. During recent North Easter Council meeting, Union Home Minister reiterated Government’s all out action against the illegal drug trafficking.
Aligning with the Government’s policy, the security personnel are conducting persistent search and raids in the region.
The drug traffickers are using both road transport and trains to transport drugs even as security personnel are relentless.
(Tripura, Northeast)
