Agartala: Tripura Police have arrested around 2,000 people for their involvement in illegal infiltration in the last three years in its efforts to ramp up surveillance against infiltration.
The action against border touts—the linkmen who facilitate border crossing—has also increased substantially leading to arrests of people associated with AADHAAR enrolment, DGP Tripura Police Amitabha Ranjan said on Monday.
Speaking to the media persons shortly after a law-and-order review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha at Tripura Police Headquarters, the top cop asserted that in the last decade police had worked effectively to bring the crime rate down. The data showed that there is a gradual decline in the number of crimes.
“In presence of the Chief Minister, a law-and-order review meeting was held at the police headquarters. All the major aspects of the security front had been discussed in detail during the meeting. The Chief Minister has guided us on a range of issues pertaining to infiltration of drugs and inspection to property related crimes,” the senior police official said.
Stating that soon a team will be formed to beef up surveillance in the border areas, he said, “Because of the political turmoil in Bangladesh, we have been advised by the Chief Minister to be extra cautious and hence we have decided to form a special team to be in touch with central agencies and border guarding forces.”
Quoting data from a presentation prepared by Tripura for the meeting, the DGP said, “If we compare the initial years of this decade to the last two three years, there is a gradual decline in overall crime despite a spike in population. For example, in 2014 and 2015 the total crime reported were 10,000 which have now come down to 9,000. This year we are the lowest in all major heads. In 2014 the total crime till August 4,026 incidents of crimes were reported and in 2024, the figure stood at 2,700 till August. There is a marked difference despite population growth and constraints that we face in work.”
In terms of Crime Against Women, in 2014 to 2016, the number of reported incidents remained in the 2,700 ballpark which has now come down to 1,500. ‘Offences against the body’ which cover a range of criminal actions like rioting, violence, scuffling also decreased from 2,800 to 2,500. Property related crimes also saw a fall from 1,200 incidents to 800 incidents in the last ten years, he added.
Describing Tripura as a stopover in the “international” highway of drug trafficking, he said, “In narcotics also our officers have worked very seriously. But, the biggest problem lies with the geographical positioning of the state. We are sitting on the international highway of drug trafficking. The drugs enter the North East from the Golden Triangle and get smuggled to Bangladesh using Tripura to eventually reach the international highway. We are trying to handle the situation with our best efforts. Initially, the average number of cases registered under NDPS Act annually used to be 83 which has now risen to 512 cases. This could be defined as a 600 percent rise in action against drugs.”
On illegal infiltration, he said, “In last three years around 2,000 people have been arrested for their involvement in illegal infiltration. The figures say that emphasis was laid on targeting touts who are helping cross border human trafficking. Eight to ten times more people have been arrested. People associated with AADHAAR enrollment and financial institutions are also arrested for their links with human trafficking kingpins.”
He also mentioned that police had taken preventive action against three lakh people in the last ten years.
Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha who also spoke on the occasion stressed on the need for acting strictly against crimes like extortion and anti-social activities.
He had instructed the top officials to conduct visits in the police stations and outposts across the state ahead of festive season as a preparatory move to strategise the security set up for the ensuing Durga Puja.
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