In yet another success against ganja smuggling, Traffic department personnel of Teliamura in Tripura seized 767 kg dry ganja from an outbound lorry on Thursday. Even as security personnel have tightened vigil against ganja smuggling from the State, the smuggling rackets are relentlessly trying to smuggle out the weed from the State.
Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb made a clarion call against ganja cultivation and smuggling. Accordingly, security personnel are destroying ganja plants, unearthing stored ganja and seizing ganja packets from vehicles almost regularly.
On Thursday, Teliamura Traffic department personnel led by ASIs Bijoy Das and Indrajit Debbarma were conducting routine search operation at Naka point. On suspicion, traffic police stopped an outbound lorry and started searching the truck. After an intensive search, Traffic personnel found packets of ganja in the lorry. Immediately Teliamura Police were intimidated. A large posse of Police and TSR jawans reached the spot and seized a total of 767 kg dry ganja. The weeds were kept in 53 packets.
Unconfirmed sources said, market value of the ganja is around 37 lakh. Police arrested driver and another person while the third person managed to give security personnel a slip.
Police seized the ganja consignment and started interrogating the driver – identified as Sitaram Yadav. During interrogation, Yadav said ganja packets were loaded in the truck at Kalabagan Petrol Pump area in Jirania under West Tripura. He was proceeding to other State with the ganja.
Notably, like other places, Corona Curfew was in force at Jirania area. Amid Curfew, how the people associated with ganja smuggling managed to load as many as 53 packets remains a ambiguous.
As allegations of corruption in Churaibari gate – the gate for entry into and exit from the State – were raised several times in the past, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb visited the Churaibari gate to take stock of the situation on Wednesday and he observed several loopholes. During his visit, Deb clearly directed the concerned personnel posted in Churaibari gate to strengthen checking system. He also asked the officials to ensure 100 per cent checking of vehicles as well as installing CCTV cameras so that no irregularities or dereliction of duty remains unnoticed.
If Churaibari Gate checking system becomes effective, it is expected the smuggling of ganja from the State to other State and inbound contraband items would be reduced significantly.
