8 pistols, 16 empty magazines found on train arriving in Agartala from Punjab

The Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF), in a joint operation on Thursday, recovered eight sophisticated pistols and 16 empty magazines from Tripura Sundari express train after it reached Agartala railway station from Punjab.

A senior official of Railway Protection Force (RPF) said that after the Tripura Sundari Express Train from Punjab's Firozpur reached the Agartala railway station, the GRP and the RPF personnel conducted a routine inspection inside the train and platform and found two unclaimed bags.

Eight pistols and 16 empty magazines were recovered from the two bags. We have yet to identify the owner or carrier of these bags, said officer-in-charge (OC) of GRP station of Agartala Railway station, Tapash Das.

Senior police, GRP, and RPF officials including DGP (Intelligence) Anurag Dhankar immediately visited the Agartala railway station and conducted a preliminary probe.

"Our probe is going on and until we complete the inquiry, we are unable to disclose further details about the arms," said Das, adding that there is no mark or place of manufacture of the pistols and magazines. All eight pistols are similar to point 9mm pistols.

He said that GRP, Agartala station has registered a specific case under BNS and Arms Act and started investigation including verification of CCTV footage to identify suspected arms smugglers involved with transportation of these seized arms.

Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas are often detained in the Agartala railway station as they, after illegally crossing the India-Bangladesh border, try to go to other parts of India in search of jobs and other purposes.

The Border Security Force (BSF) has earlier intensified surveillance along the India-Bangladesh border using the latest electronic gadgets.

Tripura, which has an 856 km border with Bangladesh, is surrounded on three sides by the neighbouring country.

Meanwhile, in a significant step toward strengthening border security and ensuring the safety of railway assets and passengers of the Northeast Frontier Railway, the RPF, in close coordination with the GRP and the BSF, has started conducting joint patrolling in the sensitive areas along the India-Bangladesh border.

NFR Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma had said that the joint patrolling was aimed at enhancing surveillance and deterring any untoward incidents along railway tracks that run close to international boundaries. He said that the joint patrolling was carried out across various divisions under the NFR, with a special focus on sectors adjoining the India-Bangladesh border. The collaborative efforts were undertaken with a spirit of inter-agency coordination and vigilance, the CPRO had said.

The NFR operates in the northeastern states and seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar.