Agartala, Oct 7 : In one of the major drug hauls, the Assam Rifles, in close coordination with the Customs officials, seized contraband valued at Rs 70 crore in Tripura and arrested four drug peddlers, officials said on Tuesday.

A defence spokesman said that in a major strike against drug trafficking, Assam Rifles, in close association with Customs officials, launched a well planned operation in Singhichhara areas under Khowai district.

Acting on secret inputs, the joint team intercepted two trucks carrying cement as coverup cargo for trafficking narcotics and recovered 69.61 kg highly addictive methamphetamine tablets valued at around Rs 70 crore. Four drug peddlers were also apprehended.

The spokesman said that this operation was a follow-up to the successful operation conducted on September 29 in the bordering Mohanpur in West Tripura district.

The September 29 operation led to the recovery of 60.77 kg of banned methamphetamine tablets worth Rs 60 crore.

According to the defence spokesman, acting on credible intelligence, troops swiftly intercepted a major consignment (on September 29), foiling an attempt by drug peddlers to exploit the festive atmosphere of Durga Puja for smuggling highly addictive methamphetamine tablets, also known as Yaba tablets, into the state.

Leads and patterns emerging from the earlier seizure were closely monitored, resulting in the identification of key smuggling routes and networks operating in the region, he said.

The defence PRO said that the 'Sentinels of the North East' remain steadfast in their mission to dismantle drug networks and build a drug-free society.

The methamphetamine tablets, also known as Yaba or party tablets, contain a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine and are commonly referred to as the 'crazy drug'. They are banned in India.

A senior police official said that the drugs might have been smuggled from Myanmar and, through Mizoram and southern Assam, were brought to Tripura to be smuggled to neighbouring Bangladesh.

Tripura, which has an 856 km border with Bangladesh, is surrounded on three sides by the neighbouring country, making the Northeastern state vulnerable and sensitive to cross-border migration, various crimes, illegal trade and movement issues.

Except for some patches, most of the frontier had been fenced to prevent smuggling, trans-border crimes, cross-border illegal movements by infiltrators and inimical elements.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha had said that various law-enforcing agencies have arrested 248 people for illegal drug consumption and also apprehended 2,729 drug peddlers during the last three financial years.

The Chief Minister, while replying to queries from Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman and CPI(M) legislator Sudip Sarkar in the just concluded state Assembly session, had said that besides arresting 2,729 drugs peddlers during the last three financial years (2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25), the security agencies are now looking for 28 more illegal drugs sellers, who are now absconding.

CM Saha, who also holds the Home Department portfolio, in a written reply, had said that under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, the conviction rate was 11.7 per cent in 2022 and 2023 and five per cent in 2024.

Following the order of the courts, the High-Level Drug Disposal Committee and State Level Drug Disposal Committee destroyed and burnt down the seized drugs in pre-notified places, the Chief Minister said.

/IANS