Daijiworld Media Network - Agartala
Agartala, Jan 29: Security forces in Tripura have dealt a major blow to the illegal narcotics trade by destroying illicit ganja cultivation valued at Rs 14.5 crore during a joint operation, officials said on Thursday.
According to a defence spokesperson, the Assam Rifles, acting on specific intelligence, carried out a large-scale anti-narcotics operation in the Boxanagar area of Sepahijala district, about 41 km south of Agartala. The operation, conducted on Wednesday, was jointly executed with the Tripura Police, Tripura State Rifles (TSR), and the Forest Department.
During the several-hour-long drive, security personnel uprooted and destroyed nearly 1.45 lakh ganja saplings spread across more than 58 acres of land. Officials said the estimated market value of the destroyed crop was around Rs 14.5 crore, striking at the core of narcotics networks operating in the region.
In an official statement, authorities said the operation reflected the Assam Rifles’ sustained commitment to combating the drug menace and advancing the goal of a drug-free society. Reiterating its role as the “Sentinels of the North East,” the force said it continues to work relentlessly to ensure peace, security, and social well-being.
In a separate but related action, the Tripura Police recovered 206 kg of unclaimed dry ganja from forest land in Gamaicherra village, also in Sepahijala district, on the same day. The seized contraband was found stored in seven plastic drums and 18 plastic bags.
Officials noted that earlier this month alone, authorities destroyed around 30 lakh ganja plants worth Rs 145 crore in Sepahijala district within a span of just ten days. These intensive operations were led by senior district police officers, including the Superintendent of Police and the Additional Superintendent of Police. Several individuals involved in illegal cultivation have since been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Police said ganja produced in Tripura is not consumed locally but is smuggled to other states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where it commands higher prices. Consignments are frequently intercepted during transit from trucks, smaller vehicles, and even passenger trains.
Local residents, including women, have claimed that cannabis cultivation in hilly and inaccessible areas has become a source of livelihood for some communities. However, police officials said investigations have repeatedly found that forest land and other government-owned land were illegally encroached upon for cultivation.
Authorities reiterated that under the NDPS Act, the cultivation, possession, sale, purchase, or consumption of narcotic and psychotropic substances is a criminal offence, punishable with heavy fines and imprisonment of up to 20 years.