West Bengal STF seizes Rs.2 crore worth narcotic pills near Assam border

The West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) has seized a truck carrying narcotic pills worth over ₹2 crore at Jorai Mor Naka point, near the Assam border in Cooch Behar district. The vehicle, which had an Assam number plate, was stopped and searched by the STF Siliguri unit, leading to the recovery of 11 packets of Yaba tablets weighing 8.5 kg. Two Assam-based smugglers, identified as 37-year-old Owajed Ali and 65-year-old Ansar Ali from Bongaigaon district, were arrested.

According to police sources, the narcotic pills were cleverly concealed inside a secret compartment under the driver's seat in the truck cabin. The STF acted on a tip-off and intercepted the vehicle before it could cross into Assam. The two suspects were taken into custody and have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the Boxerhat police station.

STF SP Indrajit Basu confirmed the seizure, stating, "The market value of the seized banned substances is around ₹2 crore." Preliminary investigations suggest that the arrested duo is part of a larger interstate drug smuggling network that operates between Assam and West Bengal. The STF is now expanding its probe to uncover more links in the trafficking ring.

The Yaba pills, often referred to as the ‘madness drug,’ are a mix of methamphetamine and caffeine. They are highly addictive and widely trafficked across India’s northeastern states from Myanmar and Bangladesh. Authorities suspect that the consignment was en route to either Guwahati or Siliguri, both of which serve as major transit hubs for drug distribution.

West Bengal has seen a rise in narcotics smuggling cases, especially along its borders with Assam, Bangladesh, and Nepal. The STF has intensified surveillance and stepped up anti-drug operations in these vulnerable regions. Several similar seizures have been made in recent months, pointing to the growing presence of organized drug cartels.

The accused will be presented before the court, and further interrogation is expected to reveal more details about their connections. The STF has assured that efforts will continue to dismantle smuggling networks and prevent the inflow of narcotics into the state.