Agartala, Oct 29 : Tripura Police seized 17 packets of dry cannabis worth an estimated Rs 50 lakh from a goods-carrying vehicle in North Tripura district and arrested its driver on charges of drug trafficking, officials said on Thursday.
The seizure was made late Tuesday night at the Naka check gate under Kadamtala police station following a specific intelligence input, they said.
Police personnel deployed at the checkpoint intercepted an Assam-bound Bolero pickup vehicle bearing registration number TR01AR-1642 and conducted a thorough search after suspecting that it was carrying contraband.
Dharmanagar Sub-Divisional Police Officer Jayanta Karmakar, DCM Suman Das, forensic experts and personnel from Kadamtala police station reached the spot to assist in the operation and investigation.
During the search, police discovered a specially designed concealed compartment inside the vehicle's body. Seventeen packets of dry cannabis of varying sizes were recovered from the hidden chamber, officials said.
The contraband was seized in the presence of officials and witnesses, they added.
The driver, identified as Kishan Ghosh, 29, a resident of the East Pratapgarh area of Subhashnagar in Agartala, was taken into custody along with the vehicle.
According to police sources, the accused allegedly told investigators during preliminary questioning that the cannabis had been loaded near the Khayerpur bypass area in Agartala and was intended to be transported to neighbouring Assam.
Police are investigating the alleged inter-state trafficking route and attempting to identify the persons who supplied the contraband and those expected to receive the consignment.
Kadamtala police station Sub-Inspector Manoj Kumar Pal said the operation was conducted on the basis of confidential information.
He said the estimated black-market value of the seized cannabis was around Rs 50 lakh.
A case has been registered under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and a detailed investigation has been initiated, police said.
Investigators are examining the vehicle's concealed compartment and other evidence to establish the circumstances surrounding the transportation of the contraband.
Police are also trying to determine whether the arrested driver was acting alone or was part of a larger drug trafficking network operating between Tripura and Assam.
Further details are awaited as the investigation progresses.
