Acting on a tip-off, North Tripura Police seized a massive consignment of cannabis weighing 345 kilograms concealed inside a puffed rice manufacturing machine at the Churaibari Check Post, in North Distict of Tripura late last night.
Additional Superintendent of Police (North) Jeremia Darlong said the vehicle, a truck, was intercepted based on specific intelligence inputs. "When the truck arrived at the Churaibari Check Post, we detained it for inspection. During the search, we initially found a puffed rice manufacturing machine. However, we detected the distinct smell of dry cannabis emanating from it. On opening the machine, we discovered 69 packets of cannabis, weighing a total of 345 kilograms," said Darlong.
The estimated black market value of the seized contraband is approximately ?1.03 crore.
The truck driver, Monita Mohan Jamatia (45), a resident of Teliamura in Khowai District, has been arrested. During preliminary interrogation, he confessed that the consignment was loaded from the Padmabil area of Khowai district and was en route to other states via Assam.
A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway to identify the entire smuggling network involved.
