Arrest of youths with drugs underpins menace of drugs in Barak Valley

If Barak Valley is known for being the Island of Peace embellished by lush green tea gardens and potential inland waterways connecting three major states of North East, the region in southern Assam is also by and large infamous for being the latent corridor for anti-social elements including drug abuse into South East Asia.

On Friday evening, two persons were nabbed red-handed while they were found consuming drugs inside the Goldighi Municipal Shopping mall in Silchar. The foul activities of two youths identified as Biswajit Das (32) of Chandrapur part II and Sujit Das (24) of Meherpur in Silchar came to the notice of Security persons of the Mall and the matter was immediately reported to the police. Later, they were arrested and FIR against the duo is under process, police informed.

However, this incident has reinforced the simmering concern of drug abuse in the region. A recap into the calendar of 2018 would reveal that numerous cases of people arrested with massive consignments of drugs worth heap of money have been registered from across the valley.

According to records available with the police, on November, two youths were arrested and contraband drug tablets and syrup were recovered from them. In a similar incident, around 2,80,000 lakh YABA drugs tablets were kept underneath the seat in the Guard’s room of the Silchar-Agartala passenger train from Karimganj railway station. In another incident back in September last year Karimganj police arrested two drug peddlers from two different locations under Patharkandi police station. It may be recalled that there have been deaths due to drugs consumption of drugs reported from the region as well.

A section of the civil society has raised serious concern on the alarming rise of such instances and urged the District Administration and Police to act hard on the foul players. Senior police officials here have claimed that police is keeping strict vigil to curb these instances and frequent hauls and arrests are taking place. Also, they have urged upon the vigilant society to maintain a positive communication with the police in combating the instances of crime together.