GUWAHATI: Assam has turned out to be a hotbed of various forms of illegal activities. This has been established from the records of the Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police and the Guwahati Customs division. Both these organizations have been able to blow the lids off a number of cases involved with such activities ranging from seizure of drugs, fake notes, contraband items, narcotics, gold, wildlife items etc to land grabbing, cyber crime, and car lifting, among others. Even then, such activities have been going on unabated. What is more, Guwahati as the gateway to the North East has been feeling the brunt of these varied forms of mercantile activities carried out through the backdoor.
A high-level STF source has revealed that altogether 13 cases have been registered with the Special Task Force from December 2017 till date. Within these nine months, the STF has arrested nine persons under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act, 1985; and held as many for car-lifting; and two more for possession of 39 fake notes of five hundred denominations each.
Besides, the STF has arrested 24 persons for gambling and two others for possessing smuggled gold (590 gram). Investigations are on into a number of land-grabbing and cyber-crime cases. The STF recently also busted an inter-state vehicle-lifting nexus. Acting on a tipoff, a raid was conducted in a Paltan Bazaar-based hotel in Guwahati and held five persons. Four individuals of the five-member gang were from Manipur.
On the other hand, the Guwahati Customs Division in the present fiscal (from April 2018) has seized various items worth more than five crore of rupees. The volume of seizure and its worth estimated at Rs 5,95,53,480 clearly shows that the north-eastern region is still a hotbed of Illegal trade.
Among the prime objects seized are, of course, gold in various forms, narcotics including cannabis or marijuana, cigarettes, and wildlife items.
According to data available with this reporter, seized gold biscuits worth Rs 2,50,86,895 were confiscated, while smuggled gold in various other forms accounted for Rs 89,06,963 during the period. On the other hand, ganja (cannabis or marijuana) worth Rs 3,88,900 were seized during various operations at different locations. Among other narcotic items seized are meth, heroin and morphine worth Rs 1,64,45,000. Opium made a significant haul at Rs 19,11,800 followed by printing chemicals (Rs 19,05,552) and cigarettes (Rs 17,50,000).
Leopard skin and bones worth Rs 10,50,000 were also confiscated during the mentioned period.
Among other items confiscated are apples worth Rs 9,45,000; Godzilla mosquito repellant (worth more than Rs 5,40,000); readymade garments (Rs 4,98,570); and blank revolvers (Rs 50,000).
During the period 2017-18, altogether 27 persons were arrested and 10 cases registered under Customs Act while five persons were held and three cases registered under the NDPS Act. Similarly, during the period from 2018-19 (up to June 28, 2018), two persons have been arrested and a case registered under the Customs Act and four persons have been held and two cases registered under the NDPS Act.
However, the fact remains that despite the successes of the departments concerned, such activities are still on what with a number of inter-state cartels at work. Besides Guwahati being the gateway to the North East, most of the gangs have been functioning also from the city.
Also Read: Top Headlines