SONAMURA, Nov 12 (TIWN):Keeping the entire police administration, Border Security Force and other security agencies in a deep slumber, smuggling of contraband items is rapidly increasing in Sonamura especially along the Indo-Bangla international border for over past few months. A section of smugglers ( political leaders) reportedly supply these contraband items to neighbouring country Bangladesh by using poor surveillance of BSF. The entry of a vast number of contraband items in state causing huge damage to the society, especially the youths including many school goers are being addicted bitterly to these items.

Asked about the cannabis cultivation, “Plantations of ganja are done on a large scale in the interior and remote areas of the border region. Since most of these plantations are located away in hills and deep forests, government agencies face tough situation to detect and destroy them.

Earlier, in order to combat with ganja cultivation, Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Sonamura- Subhasis Das along with other officials had remarkably detected and destroyed massive ganja plantations in the different parts of the sub-division, last year. But after his transfer from Sonamura, almost all the ganja cultivators and smugglers becoming active on the old way for cannabis farming and illegal trade; said a local source.

According to officials, a large number of bordering villagers in Tripura cultivate cannabis and smuggle it to Bangladesh to earn money. "There is a huge demands for cannabis in Bangladesh, and Tripura plays the key role to meet this demand", the official said

Nowadays , Sonamura sub-division is a safe-haven for the marijuana cultivators. Though, a section of dishonest people is utterly engaged in cannabis cultivation and smuggling of various contraband items, the administration is sleeping over the issue. The major part of ganja is being cultivated illegally at Batadula, Matinagar, Pachnalia, Bijaynagar, South and North Kalamchoura, South and North Taibandal, Telkajla, Kalamkhet, North and South Paharpur villages. But the police administration and the authorities are idle  on political pressure on the eve of Municipality election. Gaja Cultivation is being funded by the local CPIM leaders. Meanwhile there is a huge drug demand in Bangladesh .Youths of Sonamura Sub Division  are now badly engaged in ganja cultivation for their livelihood.