Agartala, March 31: In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking and distribution, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed three prosecution complaints in Tripura. These complaints were registered under Sections 44 and 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, at a special court in West Tripura. A total of 14 individuals are implicated in these cases.
The cases pertain to offenses registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and the laundering of proceeds generated from these crimes.
The first case involves Liton Saha and others. The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR filed by the Tripura Police (Jirania Police Station). Liton Saha is accused of playing an active role in smuggling codeine-based cough syrup, with police seizing 9,590 bottles. The investigation revealed that Saha attempted to conceal this illicit income in various bank accounts through his logistics business, Swastik Roadways.
The second case is linked to Debabrata Dey and others. The ED’s inquiry began based on two FIRs: one concerning the seizure of 1,352 kilograms of cannabis (Panasagar Police Station) and another involving 14,400 bottles of cough syrup (Mungiakami Police Station). The investigation uncovered that Debabrata Dey and Apuranjan Das were key figures in an interstate drug trafficking network that transported cannabis and other narcotics from Tripura to Bihar and other states. Their accomplice, police officer Dhruva Majumdar, allegedly invested the illicit proceeds in real estate under his wife’s name. The ED has seized multiple properties linked to the accused.
The third case involves Bishu Kumar Tripura and others, with the ED launching its investigation based on several FIRs related to the seizure of 243 kilograms, 3,390 kilograms, and 66 kilograms of cannabis. Bishu Kumar Tripura and Kamini Debarma admitted to their active participation in this interstate cannabis smuggling network. The accused reportedly converted the proceeds of crime into assets held in their and family accounts, mule accounts, hawala channels, investments in the brick industry, and real estate.
In total, the ED has seized and attached assets worth approximately ₹6.85 crores as proceeds of crime across all three cases.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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