Agartala, November 05, 2025: Acting on a tip-off, a joint operation by the police, Railway Protection Force (RPF), Customs and Assam Rifles led to the seizure of a massive consignment of banned cough syrup from two freight train wagons at Jirania station on October 16. The train, which originated from Delhi, was found to be carrying approximately 107,800 bottles of the contraband, valued at several crores of rupees.

The illicit cargo was being transported in wagons numbered 30030010892 and 31032457043. Security personnel began tracking the train from Badarpur and intercepted it upon arrival in Tripura. The operation marks one of the largest drug hauls in the region in recent months.

Following the seizure, investigators arrested Himanshu Jha alias Sonu, a pharmaceutical agency owner from Delhi, who allegedly loaded the consignment onto the train. He was flown to Agartala on Monday afternoon. The prime accused, Arun Kumar Ghosh, was apprehended late Sunday night from the Naydar Valley area of Kolkata after evading authorities for weeks. According to police sources, Ghosh had been on the run since October 17, moving between Agartala, Delhi, Shimla, and finally Kolkata.

The Crime Branch’s JUMBO team tracked Ghosh using location-tagging techniques. Raids were conducted at his residence, office in Maharajganj market, and a warehouse in Icha Bazar. Another suspect, Rajib Dasgupta, was also taken into custody, bringing the total number of arrests to three.

All three accused Jha, Dasgupta and Ghosh are residents of Agartala and Delhi. Authorities believe the smuggling operation could not have been executed without internal collusion, raising suspicions about the involvement of railway officials. Investigations are ongoing to identify additional suspects, including known drug traffickers Liton and Manna, who are reportedly attempting to negotiate protection from influential figures while remaining in hiding.

Police officials have confirmed that the crackdown is part of a broader effort to dismantle narcotics networks exploiting railway routes for trafficking. Further arrests are expected as the probe deepens.