In a major security development ahead of the upcoming elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), railway police on Tuesday apprehended a suspected arms smuggler at Agartala Railway Station. Authorities recovered an illegal firearm, live ammunition, and a magazine from his possession.

Officer-in-Charge of the Government Railway Police (GRP), Raju Bhowmik, stated that the arrest was made during a routine checking operation conducted around noon near the parking area adjacent to the RPF outpost.

The accused, identified as Subrata Dutta, a resident of Madhupur in Sepahijala district, was intercepted during the drive. “During the search, we recovered a 7.65 mm illegal firearm along with a magazine and two live cartridges. The items were immediately seized, and the accused was taken into custody,” Bhowmik said.

Preliminary interrogation revealed that the weapon had been procured from Bhagalpur in Bihar and transported to Tripura for illegal trade. Investigators suspect that the firearm was intended to be smuggled across the international border into Bangladesh with the help of a larger network.

Police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Arms Act. The accused is scheduled to be produced before a court on Wednesday.