Penagree-Inthem drug crusaders to be rewarded

Drug peddler nabbed with brown sugar

Our Correspondent

DIGBOI, June 4: Lauding the efforts of the women organization in particular and other anti-drug crusaders operating in the deadly drug-affected remote belt of Penagree-Inthem-Nagapather, Mugdhajyoti Mahanta, the Superintendent of Police of Tinsukia, congratulated the pro-active women organizations of the area for successfully netting a hardcore drug peddler Sanjit Sonowal along with more than 200 grams of suspected brown sugar from his possession here on Monday morning at Inthem village under Pengaree Police station in Tinsukia district.

“The courage displayed by the Mahila Mandal of the area is worth emulating and must inspire other organizations, including the youth and students, to come forward with their vision to crack down heavily upon the menace of the drug abuse in the areas,” said Mahanta, adding, “The organization will be officially rewarded adequately. I also urge the people involved in the drive against drug menace to cooperate with the local police in the process without being impulsive as the proceedings under NDPA Act are complicated and lengthy.”

Earlier on Monday morning, Sanjit Sonowal, son of Guneswar Sonowal, resident of Inthem Nagapather, was nabbed by the local mahila mandal at Inthem. More than 270 grams of brown sugar were recovered from the possession of the motorcycle-borne drug peddler. The recovered contraband substance along with the criminal was later handed over to Pengaree Police.

Admitting his involvement in the act of peddling and ferrying drugs in the nearby areas, Sonowal said that the seized narcotics were bought from Rajen Chetry, a known drug kingpin residing along the Assam-Arunachal border area of Bordumsa under Tinsukia district. He further was ferrying the brown sugar, besides consuming himself.

Rajen Chetry, a dreaded drug mafia, was earlier prosecuted several times under NDPS Act and is still wanted in some of the pending cases. According to sources, he promotes his business employing females, including his wife, under the nose of Bordumsa Police and several self-claimed anti-drug local organizations and student bodies active in the areas. However, based on a case registered at 13/2018 at Pengaree Police Station, the accused was prosecuted u/s 22(b) of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act, 1985.