Over 30 lakh ganja plants worth Rs 145 crore destroyed in Tripura in 10 days  

With six lakh more Ganja plants destroyed by the security forces in the latest operation, around 30 lakh marijuana plants worth Rs 145 crore have been destroyed in just 10 days in Tripura’s Sepahijala district alone, officials said on Thursday.

A police spokesman said that central and state security forces in joint operations during a day-long operations until late Wednesday evening destroyed approximately six lakh young Ganja plants cultivated in 65 plots of lands over an area of about 200 acres.

The estimated market value of the destroyed marijuana plants is approximately Rs 36 crore.

Tripura police, Tripura State Rifles, Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), Forest and district administration jointly destroyed the Ganja plants in Dhanpur, Induria, Kacchakhala, Dhanmura villages under three police station areas -- Sonamura, Melagarh, Kalamchoura -- in Sepahijala district, which shares the border with Bangladesh.

The operation highlights continued vigilance and coordinated efforts of Assam Rifles in collaboration with sister agencies to curb illegal activities and maintain security in the region, an Assam Rifles statement said.

Meanwhile, earlier the security forces in two separate operations – December 30 and January 3 -- destroyed over 23 lakh marijuana plants spread over 414 acres of mountainous land and worth around Rs 108 crore in the same Sepahijala district.

The police official said that during the same period, several lakh illicit Ganja plants were also destroyed in other districts of Unakoti, South Tripura and Khowai.

The anti-narcotics operations were led by the District Superintendent of Police or the Additional District Superintendent of Police. Several people involved in illegal cultivation were arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

According to the official, dry Ganja produced in Tripura is not consumed locally and is smuggled to various states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where it fetches a higher price.

During transportation, consignments of dry Ganja are often seized from trucks, small vehicles and even passenger trains. Residents, including women, claimed that they cultivate Ganja in hilly and inaccessible areas as part of their livelihood.

The police official said it was found on many occasions that forest land and other government land had been encroached upon and illegally used for cannabis cultivation.

He added that the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, makes it illegal for any person to cultivate, possess, sell, buy or consume narcotic and psychotropic substances. Violation of these provisions can attract heavy fines and imprisonment of up to 20 years, the official said.

In a late-night operation against drugs on Wednesday, the police, acting on specific Intelligence, seized 12,600 bottles of Eskuf cough syrup, Rs 16,000 in cash, and two mobile phones from a truck bearing a West Bengal registration number.

The operation was carried out by a team led by Superintendent of Police of North Tripura district Avinash Rai, along with personnel from the Enforcement Wing and the Churaibari Sales Tax department.

Two persons were arrested in connection with the seizure, and a case has been registered at Churaibari police station, which shares an inter-state border with southern Assam.