New Delhi/Agartala, March 31 (NationPress) In a significant crackdown on the drug smuggling and trafficking of psychotropic substances in Tripura, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced on Tuesday that it has lodged three prosecution complaints under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in court against 14 individuals.

In total, across these three cases, the Agartala Sub-Zonal Office of the ED has frozen, seized, and provisionally attached assets—both movable and immovable—valued at around Rs 6.85 crore, identified as the proceeds of crime associated with the accused.

The ED has submitted three prosecution complaints under Sections 44 and 45 of the PMLA, 2002, to the Special Court (PMLA) in West Tripura, targeting a total of 14 accused individuals, as stated in an official announcement.

According to the statement, all three complaints stem from scheduled offenses under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act), which were committed in Tripura and relate to the laundering of proceeds of crime derived from systematic drug trafficking.

This investigation was initiated following an FIR filed by the Tripura Police (specifically the Jirania Police Station in West Tripura) against Litan Saha and others for offenses under the NDPS Act, 1985.

A chargesheet was submitted by the Tripura Police to the Special Court, Sonamura, in the Sepahijala district on May 31, 2024. The investigation under PMLA revealed Litan Saha's active involvement in the illegal trafficking of codeine-based cough syrups (Eskuf), with 9,590 bottles seized by the Tripura Police, which were being transported using Saha’s logistics company, M/s Swastik Roadways.

During the PMLA investigation, it was uncovered that Litan Saha had funneled his proceeds of crime through various bank accounts, disguising them as legitimate transport business activities.

The statement indicated that the ED's investigation was based on two FIRs lodged by the Tripura Police. One FIR was recorded on May 20, 2018, at the Panisagar Police Station in North Tripura for the seizure of 1,352 kg of dry ganja (cannabis), while another was filed at the Mungiakami Police Station in Khowai district on May 30, 2021, involving 14,400 bottles of Phensedyl Cough Linctus. Chargesheets were subsequently filed before the Special Courts at Dharmanagar in North Tripura and Khowai in Khowai district, respectively.

The investigation under PMLA has revealed that Debabrata Dey and Apu Ranjan Das are habitual drug traffickers leading an organized, inter-state drug smuggling ring transporting ganja and other psychotropic substances from Tripura to Bihar and other states, according to the ED's statement.

Dey and Das’s accomplice, Dhruba Majumder, a serving police officer, was implicated in the drug trafficking scheme and has invested illicit profits in properties registered under his wife's name. The ED has attached numerous properties owned by the accused, which were acquired through criminal activities.

Another investigation was initiated by the ED based on multiple FIRs filed by the Tripura Police. One FIR was registered on June 19, 2020, at Melaghar Police Station for the seizure of 243 kg of dry ganja, another on July 24, 2021, at the Bishalgarh Police Station for 3,390 kg of dry ganja, and a third FIR was filed at Melaghar police station on January 10, 2025, for 66 kg of ganja found in the residence of Bishu Kumar Tripura during an ED search operation.

Both police stations—Melaghar and Bishalgarh—are located in Sepahijala district, a hotspot for illegal ganja cultivation.

Chargesheets were filed before the Special Court (NDPS) in Bishalgarh, Sepahijala district.

The PMLA investigation disclosed that Bishu Kumar Tripura is the main suspect and chief organizer of a large-scale inter-state ganja trafficking operation that has been ongoing since 2015, in collaboration with Kamini Debbarma.

Both suspects have confessed to their roles in drug trafficking and their partnership in this illegal operation, the statement noted.

The duo (Bishu Kumar Tripura and Kamini Debbarma) has generated and laundered proceeds of crime through various personal and family bank accounts, mule accounts, hawala and hundi channels, investments in a brick industry, and the acquisition of real estate.

According to the ED, Bikash Debbarma acknowledged his involvement in the trafficking network and knowingly permitted his bank accounts to be utilized for routing illicit funds as a mule account holder. Further investigations in all three cases are ongoing.