Tripura eradication campaigns (2025)
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Tripura eradication campaigns (2025) covers cannabis eradication and trafficking interdiction reporting from Tripura, India, during 2025. Activity concentrated in Sepahijala district, with smaller clusters of reporting from Khowai district, North Tripura district, Unakoti district and Dhalai district. The year included the 18 November 2025 Sepahijala district-wide destruction drive across five police-station jurisdictions, and three dry-cannabis recoveries from the Dhanirampur reserve forest area in Sonamura sub-division.
A 26 June 2025 statement by Chief Minister Manik Saha at the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking reported cumulative figures across the Nesha Mukt Tripura mission since 2018 of approximately 86.9 million cannabis plants and saplings destroyed, 5,800 arrests under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and over 306,000 kg of dried cannabis seized.[1] Director General of Police Anurag, addressing the same event, reported drug seizures worth ₹800 crore in 2024 and ₹102 crore in the first half of 2025, against ₹135 crore in the first half of 2024.[1]
Background
A 16 March 2026 written reply to the Tripura Legislative Assembly reported that 12,479.98 hectares of cannabis cultivation had been destroyed across 2023, 2024 and 2025, with 52,425,791 plants destroyed and 793 anti-cannabis drives conducted in the period. Two individuals were arrested for cannabis cultivation and 15 others arrested for obstructing destruction drives over the same window. Sepahijala recorded the highest extent of destroyed cultivation of any district in the period.[2]
Anti-narcotics drone tracking was in police-station-level operational use in Tripura by late 2024.citation needed The methodology was articulated at senior-officer level on 3 January 2026, when Sepahijala Additional Superintendent of Police Rajib Sutradhar described drone-led detection as standard practice for identifying remote-forest cultivation prior to ground operations.citation needed
Map
Sub-divisional reporting
Sepahijala: Sonamura sub-division
January operations
Three Assam Rifles-led joint operations in January 2025 destroyed cannabis cultivation in the Sonamura sub-division. On 9 January, a joint operation with Tripura Police and the Tripura Forest Service destroyed approximately 16,500 plants on 16.2 hectares in the Boxanagar Forest Range under Anandnagar Police Station, valued at approximately ₹70 lakh.[3] On 11 January, a similar joint operation in the Dhanirampur area under Sonamura Police Station destroyed approximately 75,000 plants on 100 acres, valued at approximately ₹2.9 crore.[4]
On 30 January, a joint Border Security Force, Tripura Police, Tripura State Rifles and Forest Department operation destroyed approximately 95,500 mature plants across Woangcherra, Harihardola, Uttar Manaipathar and South Kalamchoura, valued at approximately ₹1.43 crore. The South Kalamchoura sub-operation, led by Kalamchoura Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nadu Gopal Deb with Sub-Inspector Biswajit Debbarma and Inspector Bijendra Singh of the 49 Battalion BSF, destroyed approximately 40,000 plants across four plots covering 15 acres and resulted in arrests of cultivators at the scene.[5]
Mid-2025 operations
On 16 July 2025, Melaghar Police destroyed approximately 30,000 cannabis saplings at Indira Nagar under Melaghar Municipal Council, on the banks of the Gomati River. The cultivation had been concealed by interplanting cannabis among legitimate sugarcane and vegetable crops, with white plastic sheeting overhead presenting the appearance of cauliflower or cabbage seedlings under cover.[6]
On 30 July 2025, Sonamura Police led a joint operation with the Border Security Force destroying approximately 287,000 cannabis plants across 11 Forest Department plots at Bathadola and Bijoy Nagar.[7]
On 31 August 2025, a Jatrapur Police Station-led joint operation with Tripura State Rifles destroyed approximately 200,000 cannabis saplings across 12 nursery plots at South Moheshpur and Katalia, while a parallel Sonamura Police Station-led joint operation with the Border Security Force and Forest Department destroyed approximately 228,000 plants across 19 forest plots covering 35 acres in Sonamura sub-division. The Jatrapur operation was led by Officer-in-Charge Smriti Kanta Bardhan and the Sonamura operation by Officer-in-Charge Inspector Tapas Das. The combined day total was reported as approximately 428,000 plants. Cumulative August 2025 figures across the Sonamura sub-division were reported as approximately 7.91 lakh standing plants destroyed across 30 acres of forest land plus 4.95 lakh immature saplings.[8]
Mega Drive (18 November 2025)
On 18 November 2025, the Sepahijala District Police led a single-day operation across five police-station jurisdictions (Bishramganj, Bishalgarh, Kalamchoura, Sonamura and Melagarh), destroying approximately 1,200,000 semi-mature cannabis plants across 120 plots in remote forest areas at Sutarmura, Toktumadum, Chitta Rambari, Ukyamura, Tulamura Kamalnagar and Ghatigar, between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm. The destroyed material was valued at approximately ₹50 crore. Personnel deployment included over 500 officers from the District Police, the 1st, 7th, 11th and 14th Battalions of the Tripura State Rifles, the Central Reserve Police Force, the 14th Battalion Women Tripura State Rifles, district civil administration and the Forest Department. The operation was led by Sepahijala Superintendent of Police Bijoy Debbarma. A preliminary investigation indicated the destroyed cannabis was likely intended for interstate trafficking. The operation was reported as the largest single-day Sepahijala destruction drive on record at the time.[9]
End-of-year operations
On 30 November 2025, a Sonamura Police Station-led joint operation destroyed approximately 400,000 plants across 34 plots in the Kamalnagar, Ghatigarh and Dulunga forest areas, in parallel with operations in Bishalgarh sub-division (see below).[10]
On 2 December 2025, a Kalamchoura Police Station-led joint operation between 7:00 am and 2:00 pm destroyed approximately 550,000 pre-matured plants across 48 plots in the North Kalamchoura, Pasania and Takkamura Tila forest areas, with personnel from the Tripura State Rifles, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Forest Department.[11]
On 23 December 2025, a Jatrapur Police Station-led joint operation in dense fog destroyed approximately 100,000 plants across 22 plots in two areas: 12 plots in the Southern Teichhmar jungle of the ADC Village area near Kathalia, then 10 further plots in the Thandamura forest of South Paharpur, approximately 12 km north along the Sonamura-Bilonia bypass road. The operation was led by Officer-in-Charge Smritikanta Burdhan with the 9th, 11th and 14th Battalions of the Tripura State Rifles.[12]
On 27 December 2025, a Sonamura Police Station-led joint operation destroyed approximately 360,000 plants across 38 plots in the Kamalnagar, Batadola, Dhanirampur and Bijoy Nagar forest areas, covering approximately 75 acres.[13]
On 29 December 2025, a Sonamura Police Station-led joint operation destroyed approximately 320,000 plants across 35 plots in the Khedabari, Anandapur and Ghatigarh forest areas, covering approximately 65 acres, valued at approximately ₹6.4 crore.[14]
Dry-cannabis recoveries at Dhanirampur
On the night of 28 July 2025, Sonamura Police arrested Indra Kumar Debbarma and recovered approximately 141 kg of dried cannabis concealed in bags during a routine patrol. Sonamura Police Station Officer-in-Charge Inspector Tapas Das said preliminary questioning indicated the consignment was bound for Bihar, where dried cannabis fetches approximately ₹20,000 per kilogram. In a separate operation the same evening, police recovered approximately 386 kg of abandoned dried cannabis packed in nine plastic drums in the dense forest area of Dhanirampur.[15]
On 15 September 2025, Sonamura Police acting on intelligence input recovered approximately 1,027 kg of dried cannabis packed in 24 drums from a reserve forest area under Dhanirampur ADC Village. No arrests were made. The source described Tripura cannabis as smuggled into Bangladesh in addition to Indian states including Bihar.[16]
Sepahijala: Bishalgarh sub-division
On 30 November 2025, two Bishalgarh sub-division operations took place in parallel with the Sonamura Police Station operation. Bishramganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Inspector Ajit Debbarma led an operation destroying approximately 12,000 plants across six plots at Amarendranagar, with personnel of the 11 Battalion Tripura State Rifles. Madhupur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Inspector Debajit Chattarjee led an operation destroying approximately 30,000 plants across six plots at Kartailya and Konaban, with personnel of the 11 Battalion Tripura State Rifles and Forest Officers.[10]
On 2 December 2025, a Bishalgarh Police Station-led joint operation between 7:00 am and 11:00 am destroyed approximately 300,000 pre-matured plants across 70 plots in the Raghunandan Para and Jagatrambari areas under Bangshibari ADC Village, with personnel from the Tripura State Rifles, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Forest Department.[11]
On 7 December 2025, a Bishramganj Police Station-led joint operation destroyed approximately 400,000 mature plants across 32 forest plots at Ramnagar Puran Pagli Bari, valued at approximately ₹25 crore. The cultivation was located within rubber plantations. The operation was led by Officer-in-Charge Ajit Debbarma with the 1st and 11th Battalions of the Tripura State Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force personnel and women police officers, deploying over 150 personnel. According to the source, cultivators attempted to obstruct the operation by felling trees across access roads, and as destruction proceeded, women cultivators rushed to the site, pleading with officials to spare the plantations and citing dependants and family circumstances. One woman collapsed at the site and was revived by other cultivators. Several men attempted to resist with sticks but retreated.[17]
Khowai district
On 25 July 2025, Kalyanpur Police destroyed three illegal cannabis nurseries at South Ghilatali and Shantipara, uprooting over 80,000 cannabis saplings. The operation was led by Kalyanpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ashish Sarkar.[18]
On 20 November 2025, a joint Forest Department, police and Border Security Force operation at Melkabari under Baijalbari Police Station area destroyed approximately 4,000 mature cannabis plants by burning across approximately five kanis (about 2 acres) of government forest land. After the destruction, a group of women allegedly armed with sticks and rods attacked the security team. Police fired tear gas shells to disperse the group. A Forest Department guard identified as Sushanta Bhowmik and a Border Security Force jawan sustained injuries. Two police vehicles were vandalised, with one initially unrecoverable from the site and later recovered by crane. A case was registered.[19]
North Tripura district
On 12 May 2025, Churaibari Police intercepted a six-wheeler truck travelling from Agartala to Guwahati at the Churaibari naka point and recovered approximately 960 kg of dried cannabis concealed inside ten electronic transformers. The contraband was packed in 96 bundles of 10 kg each. Officials estimated the seized material at approximately ₹3.5 to ₹4 crore. Two individuals were arrested: truck driver Awadhesh Kumar (42) and co-driver Pramod Kumar (59), both residents of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The interception was led by Churaibari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Inspector Khokan Saha.[20]
On 2 November 2025, a Churaibari Police Station-led operation between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm destroyed approximately 5,000 cannabis plants on tilla land at Katuacharra in Ward No. 2 of Balicharra ADC Village. The operation was conducted under the supervision of the Sub-Divisional Police Officer Dharmanagar with Tripura State Rifles personnel.[21]
Unakoti district
On 27 December 2025, a Tripura State Rifles operation destroyed approximately 16,000 mature cannabis plants across eight plots at the Kuli Basti forest area near Machmara Tea Garden. Several individuals involved in cultivation were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.[22]
Trafficking interdictions
On around 31 August 2025, three individuals from Bihar including two women were arrested at Agartala Railway Station, West Tripura district, after Government Railway Police recovered approximately 29 kg of dried cannabis from them. The arrest was confirmed by Agartala Government Railway Police Station Officer-in-Charge Obadur Rahaman.[8]
On 29 November 2025, Ganganagar Police, Dhalai district, pursued and recovered two vehicles after one (registration TR-01-0759) broke through a barricade at a Naka Point checkpoint between Gandacherra and Ambassa. Police recovered approximately 547 kg of dried cannabis across the two vehicles, valued at approximately ₹2 crore. Multiple number plates were found in the vehicles. Two individuals from South Tripura district were detained near the location. The operation was led by Sub-Divisional Police Officer Gandachera Nirupam Dutta with Officer-in-Charge Gautam Debbarma and Inspector Babul Mahajan.[23]
Timeline
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Adopted comprehensive strategies to eliminate drug menace, says Tripura CM". Tripura Times. 26 June 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Sepahijala has highest cannabis cultivation in Tripura, says CM Saha". Tripura Info. 16 March 2026. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Tripura: Assam Rifles destroy over 16 hectares of ganja plantation in Sonamura". ANI News. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Assam Rifles destroys ganja plantation worth ₹2.9 crores in Tripura". Ukhrul Times. 12 January 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Tripura Police and BSF destroy 95,500 cannabis plants in major anti-drug operation". The Sentinel Assam. 31 January 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "30,000 ganja saplings destroyed at Melaghar". Tripura Times. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "2.87 lakh ganja plants destroyed in Tripura's Sepahijala". India Today NE. 30 July 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Tripura police destroy over 4.28 lakh ganja saplings in Sepahijala district crackdown". India Today NE. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "12 lakh cannabis plants worth Rs 50 crore destroyed in Tripura, 500 personnel deployed in massive crackdown". India Today NE. 18 November 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Destroyed 6 plots eliminating nearly 30,000 ganja plants: massive anti-drug drive by Sepahijala District Police". Tripura Star News. 30 November 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Joint operation leads to destruction of massive ganja plantations in Tripura". Tripura Chronicle. 2 December 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Large-scale ganja plantation destroyed in Sepahijala district". NEHerald. 23 December 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Destroyed 38 plots eliminating nearly 3.6 lakh ganja plants: massive anti-drug drive by Sepahijala District Police". Tripura Star News. 27 December 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Destroyed 35 plots eliminating nearly 3.2 lakh ganja plants: massive anti-drug drive by Sepahijala District Police". Tripura Star News. 29 December 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Dry cannabis worth over Rs 1 cr seized in two separate operations in Tripura". Northeast Live TV. 29 July 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "1,027 Kgs of Cannabis Recovered from a Reserve Forest Area in Tripura". Northeast Live TV. 16 September 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Caught Between Law and Livelihood: Tripura Tribal Women Beg Police During Massive Cannabis Bust". Northeast Live TV. 8 December 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Tripura police destroys over 80,000 ganja saplings". Tripura Times. 25 July 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Tripura: Women Clash with Security Personnel for Destroying Cannabis Plantations". Northeast Live TV. 20 November 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "2 From Uttar Pradesh Arrested With Cannabis Worth Approx Rs 4 Cr in North Tripura". Northeast Live TV. 13 May 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "5000 ganja plants destroyed in North Tripura". Tripura Times. 2 November 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Security forces destroy ganja plants worth Rs 1.08 cr in Tripura". The Sentinel Assam. 28 December 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Cannabis Worth Rs 2 Cr Seized In Tripura's Dhalai, 2 Detained". Northeast Live TV. 30 November 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.