Agartala (Tripura) [India], June 19 (ANI): In a series of coordinated operations, the Border Security Force (BSF) in Tripura apprehended one Bangladeshi national, two Indian nationals, and seized a large quantity of narcotics and contraband goods worth over 1.09 crore.

On June 18, BSF troops apprehended one Bangladeshi national at Ambassa Railway Station in Dhalai district of Tripura. The apprehended is a resident of Rajshahi District, Bangladesh, the BSF said.

In another operation based on specific input, BSF troops of BOP Kamalasagar under Sepahijala district conducted an operation in the hinterland and seized a vehicle loaded with 7,200 pieces of mobile displays worth 1.09 crore.

On 17th June, based on specific intelligence, BSF troops of BOP Raghu under West Tripura District, in a joint operation with Airport Police Station, carried out a house search in the Indian village of Narayanpur and recovered 11 kg of Ganja and arrested the house owner.

In a similar joint operation with Kalamchera Police Station, BSF troops of BOP Kalamchera under Sephijela district carried out a house search in the Indian village of Babamura, recovered 58.5 kg of Ganja and arrested the house owner.

BSF has intensified operations along the border as well as in the hinterland to prevent infiltration/exfiltration and trans-border crimes, said the BSF.

Earlier, in a major crackdown on smuggling activities, Assam Rifles successfully seized 170 cartons of banned foreign cigarettes during an operation near the general area of Chandrapur, Agartala, Tripura.

Assam Rifles, in the statement, said that the operation was launched based on specific intelligence inputs. The seized contraband, valued at approximately Rs 5.1 crores in the international market, was handed over to the Customs Department representatives for further investigation and necessary legal action, a statement said.

In another operation on June 17, Tripura Police apprehended nearly 70 to 80 individuals during a massive de-addiction drive conducted in the West Tripura district.

The operation came ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, observed every year on June 26. The coordinated drive was carried out on known drug hotspots such as Gulbazar, Heritage Park, and Gwala Basti, based on repeated public complaints about drug use during evening hours.

The operation involved Tripura Police, the Traffic Department, the Superintendent of Police, and officers from East and West Agartala Police Stations. The campaign, part of an ongoing anti-drug initiative, is conducted four times a month or once every 15 days.

According to officials, most of the detained individuals were found consuming ganja and other narcotic substances. After being apprehended, they were admitted to rehabilitation centres for treatment. Alarming revelations emerged during the process, as many of those detained were found to be HIV positive.(ANI).