Security forces in Tripura eradicated more than 23 lakh ganja plants valued at about Rs 108 crore in the Sepahijala district. The operations involved personnel from Tripura Police, Tripura State Rifles (TSR), Border Security Force (BSF), Forest Department, and Excise Department. The illicit ganja plants were eliminated in Anandapur and Ghatigarh forest areas during the anti-narcotics drive.
Several lakh illicit ganja plants were also destroyed in South Tripura and Khowai districts. In a separate operation on December 27, TSR personnel destroyed around 15,000 to 17,000 mature ganja plants in the Kuli Basti forest area near Machmara Tea Garden. The crackdown on illegal cultivation led to arrests under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Dry ganja produced in Tripura is not used locally but smuggled to states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh for higher profits. Residents, including women, cultivate ganja in remote areas for livelihood. Encroachment on forest and government land for cannabis cultivation has been observed, violating the NDPS Act, 1985, which prohibits cultivation, possession, sale, purchase, or consumption of narcotic substances.
The act carries penalties of heavy fines and up to 20 years of imprisonment for offenders. Transportation of dry ganja often results in seizures during checks on trucks and passenger trains. The operations were supervised by the District Superintendent of Police or the Additional District Superintendent of Police.
