In a significant judgement, a special NDPS court in Sonamura subdivision of Sepahijala district has convicted three persons in a major Yaba tablet smuggling case and sentenced them to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment each, along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional six months of simple imprisonment.
Government Advocate (PP) Goutam Giri said that the Special Judge, Sonamura, Sepahijala District, on Wednesday found Manik Miah (37), Madhai Shil (24) and Prasanta Roy (26) of Rangamura village under PR Bari police station of South Tripura district found guilty under Section 22(C) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985.
The court also sentenced the three convicts to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh each under Section 25 of the NDPS Act, with an additional six months of simple imprisonment in default of payment of the fine. The sentences were awarded in connection with Special (NDPS) Case No. 06/2025, arising from Jatrapur police station of Sepahijala district Case No. 57/2024 registered under Sections 22(C), 25, and 29 of the NDPS Act.
Giving details of the case history, Giri said that on the night of October 10, 2024, acting on specific intelligence inputs, police personnel from Jatrapur police station intercepted a Hyundai Grand i10 Nios near Kathalia Naka in Sonamura subdivision.
During a search conducted in the presence of independent witnesses, police recovered 9,500 Yaba tablets weighing approximately 950 grams concealed inside a yellow plastic bag hidden beneath the front-left seat of the vehicle. The vehicle was occupied by the three accused at the time of interception.
The estimated market value of the seized contraband was reported to be around Rs 9.5 lakh.
Following the seizure, Jatrapur Police registered a case and launched an investigation. Inspector Arup Debbarma, who was then attached to Jatrapur police station and is presently the Officer-in-Charge of Kalamchoura police station, completed the investigation and submitted the charge sheet against the accused on December 30, 2024.
After examining the evidence and witness testimonies, the Special Court held the accused guilty of drug trafficking offences and pronounced the conviction and sentence on June 10, 2026.
The judgment has been hailed as a significant success in Tripura Police’s ongoing efforts to curb narcotics trafficking and dismantle drug networks operating in the state.