Agartala, July 22: In a significant crackdown on narcotics trafficking, the Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with Customs officials, seized 1.4 lakh methamphetamine tablets worth ₹14 crore and arrested a truck driver in Tripura’s Khowai district late Monday night.
According to a defence spokesperson, the seizure occurred at Tuchandrai Bazar when troops and Customs personnel intercepted a suspicious truck. A thorough inspection led to the recovery of a large quantity of meth tablets, commonly known as Yaba or party pills. The arrested driver and the seized contraband were handed over to the Customs Department for further investigation and legal proceedings.
This marks the second major drug bust by the Assam Rifles in Tripura within a week. On July 16, in a similar joint operation with Tripura Police, security personnel intercepted a truck at Khayerpur in West Tripura and recovered 3 lakh meth tablets worth ₹30 crore. The driver, however, managed to flee in that case.
Law enforcement suspects that the methamphetamine was smuggled from Myanmar via Mizoram and southern Assam, entered Tripura, and was en route to Bangladesh. Methamphetamine, a powerful stimulant, is widely abused by partygoers and youth, often in tablet or crystalline form known as “ice” or “crystal meth.”
Myanmar’s Chin State has become a notorious hub for drug trafficking, with routes extending through six border districts in Mizoram that share unfenced borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, who also holds the Home portfolio, recently warned that influential individuals involved in the drug trade will face strict action. At a recent ‘Drug-Free India’ campaign in West Tripura, he reiterated the state’s zero-tolerance policy and the commitment of law enforcement agencies to dismantle trafficking networks.
