Breaking Drug Chain: Crackdown + Awareness is the Key, Say Social Workers
Agartala Dec 8: Tripura police have arrested a notorious drug trafficker from South Kadamtala area today and seized heroin worth several lakhs of rupees. The arrested accused has been identified as 25-year-old Ambar Ali alias Pir, son of Ballu Mia. Police have confirmed that he resides in Ward No.1 of South Kadamtala Gram Panchayat under the North Tripura District.
The arrest of a young drug trafficker with heroin worth several lakhs in Kadamtala has opened wider questions about narcotics circulation routes, youth vulnerability, and the urgent need for long-term rehabilitation mechanisms in Tripura’s vulnerable belts bordering Assam.
According to the report, during regular night patrolling on Sunday late night, police personnel of Kadamtala Police Station noticed a young man in the South Kadamtala locality and grew suspicious. When police attempted to stop him, the youth tried to flee but was immediately apprehended.
Following suspicion of drug possession, the matter was conveyed to the Officer-in-Charge of Kadamtala Police Station, Jayanta Debnath. Under his direction, Dharmanagar Sub-Divisional Police Officer Jayanta Karmakar, along with the DCM and the forensic team, reached the spot. During the search, police recovered 38 grams of heroin hidden inside a soap box, packed in a plastic packet.
According to police records, the arrested youth has multiple cases relating not only to narcotics but also theft and robbery in both Tripura and neighbouring Assam. The repeated involvement of young individuals in drug supply chains suggests active recruitment networks, which experts warn could expand without simultaneous policing and social intervention.
Anti-drug advocates note that Kadamtala, Churaibari, and adjoining areas may be functioning as transit points for illegal substances. Mapping the routes, identifying local handlers, and tracking financial transactions have now become priorities for investigative teams.
Officer-in-Charge Jayanta Debnath stated that a case has been registered against the accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and investigation has begun. On Monday, the arrested person was produced before the Dharmanagar court with a prayer for police remand.
Beyond law enforcement, social workers argue that drug addiction and trafficking are intertwined issues that cannot be solved by arrests alone. A comprehensive rehabilitation plan involving counselling, community monitoring, anti-addiction centres, and school-level awareness programmes could help reduce youth involvement in narcotics.
Local teachers and health workers say many young offenders fall into trafficking due to lack of guidance, economic pressure, or influence of organised networks. If rehabilitation and awareness initiatives run parallel to investigation, they believe the region could see a long-term drop in narcotics-related crimes.
