Three Sentenced to 20 Years for Drug Trafficking in Tripura

Agartala: A court in the Sepahijala District of Tripura has sentenced three men to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for their role in a major drug trafficking operation. Special Judge Sanjay Bhattacharya handed down the verdict following the seizure of 9,500 yaba tablets in 2024.

The legal proceedings stemmed from an incident on September 10, 2024, when local authorities received intelligence regarding a vehicle transporting contraband from Sonamura toward the Kathalia area. Police ambushed the car late that night and discovered the tablets during a search. An advocate representing the case detailed the sequence of events to the media.

“On September 10, 2024, the officer-in-charge of the police station received a tip-off that a vehicle carrying contraband items was approaching from Sonamura towards the Kathalia area,” the advocate explained. Officers arrested the driver, Madai Shil, along with passengers Manik Mia and Prasanta Roy, all of whom are residents of Belonia in South Tripura.

Officer-in-Charge Subrata Debnath filed the initial case, and Inspector Arup Debbarma later submitted the charge sheet after completing his investigation. Throughout the trial, the prosecution presented 19 witnesses to the court. In addition to the two-decade prison sentences, the judge ordered each of the three men to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh.