Contraband worth lakhs seized across Assam

GUWAHATI: Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel of NF Railway have recovered several consignments of contraband items from stations and trains of NF Railway zone in the last two days.
During a search operation at Guwahati railway station on Thursday, RPF personnel, along with officers and staff of government railway police station, spotted some packets lying. Later, it was found that the packages were loaded with chewing tobacco (gutkha). A statement by the railways said a total of 90 such packets were recovered from the platform.
"According to the railway booking marks, the consignments were booked from New Delhi to Guwahati. The recovered packages were unloaded from VPU No 078270, which arrived in Guwahati on 20.8.20 by parcel special train No 00402 UP. As transportation of tobacco products is banned by the Govt of Assam, the above recovered parcel packages containing chewing tobacco packets have been seized by GRP in presence of RPF and other witnesses," read the statement. However, it said nobody has been arrested so far.
In another incident on Thursday, the RPF task force of Tinsukia division conducted a surprise check on train number 05956 special Brahmaputra Mail during which two packets, containing banned tobacco items were found in the luggage-cum-parcel van on the New Jalpaiguri-Mariani line. Accordingly, RPF personnel seized both the packets and a written complaint was lodged. The approximate value of the seized packets was Rs 2,68,537, the statement said.
“It may be mentioned here that during the last three years (up to July 2020), 654 cases of smuggling of contraband items were detected by RPF with recovery of property worth Rs 17,93,72,180 with the arrest of 185 people,” the statement added.
Troops of Guwahati Frontier of Border Security Force (BSF) also seized 185 Yaba tablets on Friday, from the bordering area of village Khetabarkutti-II of Coochbehar in West Bengal.
Acting on tip-off, BSF jawans of Border Out Post Jhikri of 192nd battalion conducted a raid in the house of an Indian national Hassan Miya and recovered the Yaba tablets.
A statement from Guwahati Frontier of BSF said Hassan Miya has been handed over to police. “Keeping in view the vulnerability of the border, heightened activities of the smugglers and anti-national elements on the border, BSF troops are always alert towards the issues of trans-border crimes and illegal infiltration and are making all out efforts to prevent commission of such crimes,” a BSF spokesperson said on Saturday.