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Over 2,700 drug peddlers, 248 consumers held in 3 years: Tripura CM
Tripura chief minister Manik Saha said that the seized contraband items were destroyed at an abandoned place of Bodhjungnagar Industrial Estate in West Tripura district
AGARTALA: Over 2,700 drug peddlers and 248 drug consumers were arrested from 2022-23 till 2024-25, said Tripura chief minister Manik Saha while speaking on the last day of the autumn session of the state legislative assembly on Tuesday.
Saha, also holds the portfolio of the Home Department, while replying to a question moved by Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman, said that total 2,729 drug peddlers were arrested till now and another 28 having involvement in drug peddling cases are yet to be arrested as they are absconding.
Later, he said that the rate of conviction in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) cases was 11.7 % in 2022 and 2023 and the subsequent year, it was 5%.
He further added that after seizing contraband items including yaba tablets, phensidyle in 2023-24 and 2024-25 Financial Years, these were destroyed at an abandoned place of Bodhjungnagar Industrial Estate in West Tripura district.
“The destruction of these seized items were completed during presence of chairmen and other members of High Level Drug Disposal Committee and State Level Drug Disposal Committee”, Saha said and added that a total of 1,970 persons involved in these cases, were arrested in these two fiscal years.
Earlier, Saha said that the Tripura government adopted zero tolerance to drug menace following advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.
“There has been a rise in drug abuse through intravenous injection in the state that is the cause of spreading HIV/AIDS,” Saha said at a programme earlier.
The state is being used as a corridor for illegal drug trade and the law enforcement agencies keep alert to reduce these activities.
The state decided to launch drug de-addiction centres in all the eight districts where Rs. 20 crores for each of the centre would be spent, said Saha adding that the Union Development of NorthEastern Region (DoNER) Ministry sanctioned Rs. 198 crores to open a special de-addiction centre at Bishramganj in Sepahijala district.
