AGARTALA, January 13 (TIWN): Tripura, which is mostly used as a corridor for smuggling pharmaceutical drugs into Bangladesh from Delhi and other parts of the country, is learnt to have grown a safe haven for pharmaceutical drug smuggling in the entire South East Asia. Forget opium, heroin and ganja; pharmaceutical drugs are the latest rage among drug users, and the Capital has emerged as one of the major hubs of the unlawful trade surrounding them. It was revealed that the illegal trade has prospered mainly because of a huge profit margin involved in the smuggling of such drugs. Parts of the profits obviously go to officials of multiple departments that do include a section of police officials.

 Leaving no stone unturned the Chraibari Check post has now turned out to be the place where phensidyls comes from the main wholesale markets across the country including Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland via Guwahati, in large trucks, and are diverted and stored in godowns. According to sources, the trucks which carry these substances and reach at Churaibari Check post do take care to escape being caught by Police, and most surprisingly the three sales Tax officers popularly known as a the Rai Brothers – Ranjit Rai, Apurba Rai and Ponkoj Rai are found to be involved extending their bribe taking hand in order to give a pass to the truck drivers.

It was found that everyday at least 5 to 6 trucks loaded with phensidyls pass through the Churaibari check post in present of the Rai Brothers. It has been since three to four days back that a truck loaded with metal tins and that too fully loaded with phensidyls of around 6, 600 bottles arrived at Churaibari check post. And later the truck had been given a pass to make an entrance into the state Tripura. But the truck was caught by the BSF Jawans at Nalkata area, and the phensidyl bottles were seized.

Therefore many a time, it was found that the police as well as officials of other departments know about the activities and they seize the medicines. But in about 70 per cent cases, they are paid a hefty sum and the business keeps going on daily at the Churaibari check post. It was also found that the truck drivers often carry fake bills and pay a few hundreds to the policemen and the Rai brothers at check-post.

Deals are fixed mostly over phones and money changes hands through traditional hawala channels. There are some big dealers holed up in the capital city Agartala and other parts who divert these phensidyls to the neighbouring country Bangladesh and other places. The risk involved is huge and once caught, getting a bail is not easy under the narcotics Act, so dealers need to satisfy these officials and the money always goes to lakhs - at least Rs 10 lakh a month.

However, it is to be mentioned here that the Churibari check post has become a major hub of smuggling items of phensidyl bottles. And the concerned officials had been playing a role of a silent spectator at large.