Tripura Police seizes 1.5 lakh Yaba tablets worth ₹7.5 crore, Assam man held
Synopsis
In one of Tripura's biggest drug busts in recent memory, police intercepted 1.50 lakh Yaba tablets worth ₹7.5 crore at a border-adjacent checkpoint — and the suspected mule was driving in from Assam. The haul lays bare the Myanmar-Mizoram-Tripura-Bangladesh smuggling pipeline that enforcement agencies have struggled to seal.
Key Takeaways
Tripura Police seized 1.50 lakh methamphetamine (Yaba) tablets worth over ₹7.5 crore at Damchara, North Tripura on 29 June .
The contraband was found in 15 packets during a routine vehicle-checking operation conducted with an Executive Magistrate and forensic personnel present.
Arrested: Anup Nunia , resident of Silcoorie, Cachar district, Assam , allegedly the vehicle's driver and a suspected drug peddler.
Police suspect the tablets were smuggled from Myanmar through Mizoram , destined for Bangladesh or other markets.
Mizoram shares unfenced borders of 510 km with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh, making it a key trafficking corridor.
Tripura's 856-km border with Bangladesh makes the state a sensitive transit zone for cross-border drug trade.
Tripura Police seized 1.50 lakh methamphetamine tablets — popularly known as Yaba — valued at over ₹7.5 crore in the illegal market during a vehicle-checking operation at Damchara in North Tripura district on Monday, 29 June, officials said. The haul, described by police as one of the largest drug seizures in the state in recent times, led to the arrest of a suspected drug trafficker from Assam.
How the Seizure Unfolded
During a routine vehicle-interception drive, Tripura Police personnel flagged down a suspicious vehicle at Damchara, a locality that shares a long inter-state border with Mizoram. A thorough search was conducted in the presence of an Executive Magistrate and forensic science personnel, following due procedure. Officers recovered 15 packets containing the contraband tablets from the vehicle.
The driver, identified as Anup Nunia, a resident of Silcoorie in Cachar district of southern Assam, was arrested on the spot on allegations of drug trafficking. Further investigation is underway to trace and apprehend all others linked to the trafficking network, officials added.
The Mizoram–Myanmar Corridor
Police officials suspect the Yaba tablets were smuggled from Myanmar through Mizoram before entering Tripura, likely destined for Bangladesh or other markets. Mizoram has emerged as a significant drug-trafficking corridor in Northeast India owing to its extensive unfenced borders — 510 km with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh — which make surveillance exceptionally difficult.
Methamphetamine tablets, a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine, are prohibited under Indian law. The drug is commonly referred to as Yaba, 'party tablets', or the 'crazy drug' in trafficking networks across the region.
Why Tripura Is Particularly Vulnerable
Tripura shares an 856-km-long international border with Bangladesh and is surrounded on three sides by the neighbouring country, making it acutely exposed to cross-border smuggling and illegal trade. This geographic reality has long made the state a transit point for contraband moving between Myanmar and Bangladesh — a route that law enforcement agencies across the Northeast have been attempting to disrupt.
Notably, this seizure comes amid intensified enforcement drives across Northeast India, where Yaba trafficking has seen a marked uptick in recent years, according to officials.
What Authorities Said
A senior police official stated that the North Tripura District Police remains committed to combating drug trafficking and organised crime through strict law enforcement and coordinated inter-agency action. The official added that the objective is to ensure a safer, drug-free society in the region.
With investigation ongoing, police are working to map the full extent of the trafficking network that the arrested individual was allegedly part of.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was seized in the Tripura drug bust on 29 June?
Tripura Police seized 1.50 lakh methamphetamine tablets, commonly known as Yaba, valued at over ₹7.5 crore in the illegal market. The contraband was found in 15 packets inside a vehicle intercepted at Damchara in North Tripura district.
Who was arrested in the Tripura Yaba seizure?
Anup Nunia, a resident of Silcoorie in Cachar district of southern Assam, was arrested. He was allegedly driving the vehicle carrying the contraband and is suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.
What is Yaba and why is it banned in India?
Yaba is a tablet containing a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine, often called 'party tablets' or the 'crazy drug' in trafficking circles. It is prohibited in India due to its highly addictive nature and the severe health risks associated with methamphetamine use.
How are Yaba tablets being smuggled into Tripura?
Police suspect the tablets were smuggled from Myanmar through Mizoram — which shares 510 km of unfenced border with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh — before entering Tripura, likely for onward trafficking to Bangladesh. Tripura's 856-km border with Bangladesh makes it a key transit point.
Is this the largest drug seizure by Tripura Police?
Officials described it as one of the largest drug seizures made by Tripura Police in recent times, though they did not cite a specific comparative figure. Investigation is ongoing to identify and arrest others in the trafficking network.
