Karimganj Police thwarts major Ganja Smuggling attempt using oil tanker; Seizes 1420 kgs, apprehends Mithun Sarkar

In a significant victory against drug smuggling, the Karimganj Police have successfully foiled an attempt to smuggle a massive quantity of Cannabis, commonly known as Ganja, through the Assam-Tripura interstate border.

Superintendent of Karimganj Police, Partha Protim Das, revealed that their operation was based on valuable intelligence. A Bharat Petroleum tanker vehicle with the registration number NL 01 AG 5508, was intercepted at the Churaibari check post on the Assam-Tripura border under the jurisdiction of Karimganj Police. Upon conducting a thorough search, law enforcement officers discovered a shocking 71 packets of Ganja, weighing a total of 1420 kilograms, concealed within secret compartments inside the vehicle’s tank.

The operation also led to the apprehension of one individual, identified as Mithun Sarkar, a resident of Tripura.

Speaking with Barak Bulletin, SP Partha Protim Das shed light on the evolving tactics employed by drug smugglers. “Earlier, the smugglers used to conceal the Cannabis under sacks of cement, pipes, or electric wires… But now, they have changed their methods. Either they send small consignments of 10 kilograms through night supers or they use secret chambers inside trucks and tankers. It has become like Heroin smuggling, sophisticated and methodical, adding to the difficulties in thwarting such attempts,” he stated.

Das emphasized the crucial role of confidential informants in preventing such smuggling activities and highlighted the dedicated efforts of the Karimganj Police in cultivating reliable sources on the ground.

The Chief Minister of Assam, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, commended the relentless efforts of the Karimganj Police. Sarma expressed his appreciation on social media, stating, “Based on reliable inputs, intercepted a tanker coming from a neighboring State at Churaibari checkpost & recovered 71 packets of Ganja weighing 1,420 kg from its tank in Karimganj district. One person has been arrested in this regard. Great job Assam Police.”

Sources in Tripura informed Barak Bulletin that there is asubstantial cultivation of the Cannabis Sativa plant in the region, which is subsequently processed into weed or Ganja. These processed consignments are carefully packaged and smuggled into North Indian states via Barak Valley’s Karimganj, utilizing Assam as a gateway. Once in the North Indian states, the contraband is unloaded and sold at a premium through unofficial retailers.