ED files 3 prosecution complaints against 14 accused in Tripura drug smuggling cases

In a major crackdown on the smuggling and trafficking of drugs and psychotropic substances in Tripura, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said it has filed three prosecution complaints under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, before a court against a total of 14 accused persons.

Across the three cases, the Agartala Sub-Zonal Office of the ED has frozen, seized, and provisionally attached movable and immovable assets worth approximately Rs 6.85 crore, identified as proceeds of crime linked to the accused individuals.

The ED has filed three PCs under Sections 44 and 45 of the PMLA, 2002, before the Special Court (PMLA) in West Tripura against a total of 14 accused persons, an official statement said.

It said that all three complaints arise from scheduled offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) committed in Tripura and pertain to the laundering of Proceeds of Crime generated from systematic drug trafficking activities.

The ED initiated this investigation based on an FIR registered by Tripura Police (Jirania Police Station in West Tripura) against Litan Saha and others for the commission of offences under the NDPS Act, 1985.

A Chargesheet was filed by Tripura Police before the Special Court, Sonamura, under Sepahijala district on May 31, 2024. Investigation under PMLA revealed that Litan Saha was actively involved in the illegal trafficking of codeine-based cough syrups (Eskuf). In all, 9,590 bottles of cough syrups were seized by Tripura Police, which were being transported through Saha’s logistics firm M/s Swastik Roadways.

During the investigation under PMLA, 2002, it was revealed that the accused Litan Saha had routed his Proceeds of Crime through his various bank accounts under the disguise of transport business.

The statement said that the ED initiated this investigation based on two FIRs registered by the Tripura Police. The FIRs were registered at the Panisagar Police station in North Tripura on May 20, 2018, for the seizure of 1,352 kg of dry ganja (cannabis), and another FIR was filed at the Mungiakami Police station in Khoway district on May 30, 2021, for the seizure of 14,400 bottles of Phensedyl Cough Linctus. Charge-sheets were filed accordingly before the Special Courts at Dharmanagar in North Tripura district and Khowai in Khowai district, respectively.

Investigation under PMLA revealed that Debabrata Dey and Apu Ranjan Das are habitual drug traffickers who led an organised, inter-state drug smuggling network transporting ganja and other psychotropic substances from Tripura to Bihar and other states, the ED statement said.

Dey and Das’s associate Dhruba Majumder, a serving police officer, was a partner in the drug trafficking conspiracy and invested illicit proceeds in immovable properties registered in the name of his wife. ED has attached multiple properties of the accused persons, which were amassed through criminal activities.

ED initiated another investigation on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by the Tripura Police. One FIR was registered on June 19, 2020 at Melaghar police station for the seizure of 243 kg of dry ganja and another FIR was lodged on July 24, 2021 at the Bishalgarh police station for the seizure of 3,390 kg of dry ganja and the third FIR was filed at the Melaghar police station on January 10, 2025 for 66 kg of ganja recovered from the residential premises of Bishu Kumar Tripura during a search operation by ED.

Both the police stations – Melaghar and Bishalgarh -- are in Sepahijala district, a prime area of illegal ganja cultivation.

Charge-sheets were filed before the Special Court (NDPS), Bishalgarh in Sepahijala district.

Investigation under PMLA revealed that Bishu Kumar Tripura is the prime accused and principal organiser of a large-scale inter-state ganja trafficking network operating since 2015 in partnership with Kamini Debbarma.

Both accused admitted their involvement in drug trafficking and their partnership in this illegal enterprise, the statement said.

The duo (Bishu Kumar Tripura and Kamini Debbarma) has generated and laundered Proceeds of Crime through multiple bank accounts of themselves and their family members, mule accounts, hawala and hundi channels, investment in a bricks industry, and acquisition of immovable properties.

According to the ED, Bikash Debbarma admitted his involvement in the trafficking network and knowingly allowed his bank accounts to be used for routing illicit funds as a mule account holder. Further investigation in all three cases is in progress.