Sonamura, September 27 (TIWN):In a daylong string of raids in close succession, huge amounts of Bangladeshi currency, sound-crackers and dried cannabis were recovered today by the Sonamura Sub-Divisional Administration and 29 Battalion BSF. Besides, certain ganja plantations were also destructed by the Administration.

 The first raid was carried out under the leadership of the Dy. Commandant of 29 Battalion BSF, P.C. Suraj, assisted by R. K. Mishra and Anil Ranwa, Coy Commanders of Dhanpur and Nirbhoypur BSF BOPs respectively. Acting on a tip off, the BSF team raided a shop owned by one Samir Saha in Sonamura market and recovered 3.32335 lakh Bangladeshi Currency. Besides, 8.23100 lakh Indian currency was also found alongside the Bangladeshi currency, from which it can be presumed that the Indian currency was kept in the shop for being exchanged with Bangladeshi currency. The seized currencies were then handed over to the local Customs authorities. The raid lasted for about one hour, between 12 noon and 1 p.m. Thereafter, in another successful and meticulously planned raid, sound-crackers worth Rs.29.50 lakh was recovered from Rabindranagar market. A particular shop in the market owned by Mohan Miah was raided, and huge amounts of sound-crackers were recovered from an underground chamber. The raid spanned for about half-an-hour, between 3 pm and 3.30 pm. Possibly, this was the largest seizure of sound-crackers in a single day anywhere in the state. It may be mentioned that Hon’ble High Court of Tripura and the Tripura Pollution Control Board had imposed severe strictures and prohibitory orders on storage and sale of such sound-emitting fireworks. The seized sound-crackers have been retained in the custody of the Srimantapur BSF BOP. Thereafter, in the third operation of the day, a team headed by SDM Sonamura, Subhasis Das, proceeded towards Barmura Gram Panchayat of Kathalia R D Block and there destroyed two ganja plantations which involved uprooting and seizure of 1005 ganja plants, the market value of which works out to Rs.25 lakh as per the Excise Department norms, considering the yield from each plant to be 500 grams. The last operation of the day was carried out between 5 pm and 5.30 pm, during which a team headed by the SDM Sonamura recovered 110 kg of dried ganja from an abandoned place in the vicinity of Machima market of Sonamura. The market value of the recovered dried ganja is estimated to be Rs.5.55 lakh. The seized ganja has been kept in the custody of Dhanpur BSF BOP.    

SDM Sonamura Subhashis Das, BSF Team Dy. Commandant of 29 Battalion BSF, P.C. Suraj, R. K. Mishra and Anil Ranwa, Coy Commanders of Dhanpur and Nirbhoypur BSF BOPs with seized currency and goods