Railway Cannabis Bust: Two Arrested with Rs 35 Lakh Haul

Two men were apprehended at Agartala Railway Station with 298 kg of cannabis worth Rs 35 lakh. The bust, carried out by GRP and RPF, foiled a smuggling attempt to Bihar. Both suspects, employed as bedroll boys, face charges under the NDPS Act, with further investigations ongoing.

In a significant drug bust, two individuals were arrested at the Agartala Railway Station with cannabis valued at over Rs 35 lakh, according to official reports released on Sunday.

Identified as Bittu Kumar, 27, from Begusarai, and Ankul Kumar, 23, from Lakhisarai, both in Bihar, the suspects were caught with 24 cartons packed with 298 kg of cannabis.

The operation was a joint effort by the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF), intercepting a smuggling attempt on Platform No. 1 of the station.

Authorities revealed the cannabis was set to be smuggled to Bihar via the Deoghar Express train. The contraband was meticulously packed into 282 packets. A criminal case was promptly filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the Agartala GRP station.

The suspects, reportedly employed as bedroll boys on the same train, are currently undergoing intense scrutiny as police expand their investigation to uncover possible connections to a larger smuggling network.

Further arrests are anticipated, and the accused are expected to appear in court tomorrow, where police will request their custody for further interrogation.

(With inputs from agencies.)