Tripura Police have seized dry cannabis estimated to be worth Rs 50 lakh and arrested a 29-year-old driver for allegedly transporting the contraband from Agartala to Assam in a goods-carrying Bolero vehicle.
The seizure was made late on Wednesday night at the Jherjheri naka point in North Tripura district after police acted on a tip-off. A team led by Kadamtala police station Sub-Inspector Manoj Pal intercepted the vehicle and searched it.
Senior police officials, a Deputy Collector and Magistrate (DCM), and a forensic team were called to assist in verifying suspicions that the vehicle was being used to transport narcotics. The search revealed a specially built concealed compartment, which police broke open to recover dry cannabis packed in 17 packets of varying sizes.
The arrested driver was identified as Kishan Ghosh, 29, a resident of Subhashnagar in the East Pratapgarh area of Agartala.
During preliminary questioning, Ghosh allegedly told investigators that the cannabis had been loaded into the vehicle near the Khayerpur bypass in Agartala and was destined for Assam.
Sub-Inspector Manoj Pal said the seized contraband had an estimated illicit market value of around Rs 50 lakh.
Police have registered a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and launched a detailed investigation to identify others suspected of involvement in the interstate smuggling operation.
