Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb claimed that the anti-drug campaign which he launched after assuming office in 2018 has achieved huge success in Tripura. Mr Deb, who also holds the Home portfolio, said the police and security establishments were working hard to eradicate drug menace from the state.

He, however, said the strict actions would attain complete success only with participation of the people at large. “Inform police and administration if you notice illegal drug and narcotic trade activity in your area,” he made an appeal in a statement released on Tuesday.

The Chief Minister claimed that the instances of seizures were many times more now, after the anti-drug campaign of the BJP government was launched in the state.

Tripura police registered 72, 56 and 83 cases of drug seizures in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively following complaints and tip-offs received of illegal trade and activity. However, registration of cases had gone up to 433 in 2018 alone after the BJP-led coalition government had come to power, he informed.

While 211 persons were arrested in drug-related cases over a period of three years from 2015, a total of 1,753 people were nabbed between 2018 and 2021. Ganja or Cannabis was the main item among the substances seized in international and inter-state smuggling.

The statement of the Chief Minister incorporated a table which showed only 990 kg ganja was seized in 2015 whereas in 2018, sustained efforts of the police and other security establishments helped seize 65,363 kg of ganja.

The Chief Minister asserted that the present government was committed to make Tripura a drug-free state.