Four Tripura cops arrested over alleged tampering of seized narcotics consignment

Agartala, May 25 (IANS) Tripura Police on Monday arrested four police personnel, including an Inspector and a woman Sub-Inspector, in connection with the alleged tampering and irregularities involving seized narcotic substances in the state’s Khowai district, officials said.

An official said that the arrested police personnel include Inspector Ajit Debbarma, Sub-Inspectors Rajendra Reang and Sampa Das, and Assistant Sub-Inspector (Special Branch) Sachindra Debbarma.

All the accused personnel were posted in Khowai district. Inspector Ajit Debbarma was serving as the second Officer-in-Charge of Teliamura police station.

According to the official, during a routine patrol on May 20, police personnel from Teliamura police station intercepted a vehicle and recovered a huge consignment of banned codeine-based Eskuf cough syrup, which is often misused as a narcotic substance.

Media reports stated that the intercepted vehicle was carrying over 6,000 bottles of Eskuf cough syrup, each containing 100 ml. A subsequent review of CCTV footage from Teliamura police station reportedly revealed that substantial portions of the recovered consignment were removed from the General Duty room before the formal seizure and official recording process was completed.

Preliminary examination of the CCTV footage showed that around 245 bottles of Eskuf cough syrup, each containing 100 ml, were allegedly dishonestly removed and concealed by the accused police personnel.

The quantity falls under the category of commercial quantity as defined under the NDPS Act. Eskuf cough syrup contains Codeine Phosphate and Triprolidine Hydrochloride, substances that are frequently misused as narcotics in India, neighbouring Bangladesh and several other countries.

The police official said that the seizure officer allegedly failed to account for the entire consignment during the formal seizure process.

Immediately after the alleged irregularities came to light, a criminal case was registered and an impartial investigation was launched.

“Departmentally, all four police personnel have been suspended. All four accused have also been arrested and produced before a local court on Monday with a plea for police remand,” the official said.

He said that Tripura Police reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and misappropriation involving police personnel. The matter is being investigated impartially and expeditiously, the official added.

The official further said: “On the direction of Director General of Police (DGP), Tripura, Anurag, Tripura Police registered criminal cases following the seizure tampering incident at Teliamura police station.”

The cases were registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

Meanwhile, last week, four persons, including police personnel, were arrested and three others suspended from service in connection with a viral video showing a woman displaying a huge amount of cash at her residence in Tripura’s Dhalai district.

The four arrested persons in that case included police personnel, a health department employee and the wife of a police constable.

–IANS

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