Drugs and Ganja Cultivation Fueling Parallel Economy in Tripura: CM Saha
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Synopsis
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has expressed concerns over the increasing drug trade and ganja cultivation in the state, emphasizing the need for stringent action to combat these issues. The government is implementing awareness campaigns and has arrested many involved in drug-related crimes.
Key Takeaways
- Tripura faces a significant drug crisis with smuggled substances and ganja cultivation.
- Over 2,600 arrests made related to drug trafficking in the last three years.
- Government taking proactive steps against drug-related issues and HIV/AIDS.
- Opposition urges for urgent measures to combat drug menace.
- ED conducts major raids against drug cartels in Tripura.
Agartala, Jan 13 (NationPress) Raising alarm, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha stated on Monday that drugs being trafficked from Myanmar into his state via adjacent Assam, along with the cultivation of ganja (marijuana), are forming a parallel economy in this northeastern region.
During the second day of the ongoing Winter Session of the Tripura Assembly, the Chief Minister informed the House that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has mandated a strict zero tolerance approach towards drug trafficking and all forms of drug-related issues.
He noted that over the past three years, 1,665 cases have been filed under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985, resulting in the arrest of 2,697 drug traffickers involved in unlawful activities.
Saha, who also oversees the Home and Health and Family Welfare departments, mentioned that in the last three years, law enforcement, including Tripura Police, has confiscated drugs and dismantled numerous ganja plantations worth an estimated Rs 1,587.47 crore.
Due to the drug crisis, the number of individuals affected by HIV/AIDS has surged to 10,126 in 2023, up from 7,707 in 2021.
“Since 2015, at least 512 people have succumbed to HIV/AIDS,” the Chief Minister disclosed in the assembly.
In addition to various initiatives against drug abuse and the proliferation of HIV/AIDS, the state government’s ten departments, including Home, Education, and Health and Family Welfare, have collectively launched several awareness campaigns throughout the state.
Opposition Leader Jitendra Chowdhury, alongside Congress legislators Sudip Roy Barman and Gopal Roy, accused the BJP government of allowing drug-related activities, including smuggling and illicit trade, to escalate significantly, jeopardizing the future of the youth.
The LoP and other opposition MLAs called for the government to implement immediate and stringent measures to combat the rapidly growing drug crisis.
Meanwhile, Enforcement Directorate (ED) agents executed synchronized search operations across several locations in Tripura on Friday (January 10) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, targeting interstate drug syndicates engaged in the trafficking of narcotics, including ganja and phensedyl.
A Tripura government representative indicated that during Friday’s operation across three districts—West Tripura, South Tripura, and Sepahijala—ED officials identified seven individuals, including Dhruba Majumdar, an Assistant Sub-Inspector of Tripura Police, implicated in the drug trafficking network.
Majumdar is currently assigned to the Crime Branch under the office of the Superintendent of Police, South Tripura district, and resides in Baikhora.
The source revealed that Tripura Police is considering appropriate legal and administrative actions against Majumdar.
As part of their investigation, ED agents have also summoned several officials from Tripura Gramin Bank for questioning.
Despite Tripura emerging as a significant producer of ganja and a transit point for synthetic drugs like highly addictive methamphetamine tablets, this marks the first instance of such major raids by the central agency against key drug players in the state.
According to ED sources, the accused maintained an interstate network facilitating drug trafficking across various regions, including Tripura, Assam, Bihar, and other parts of India.
